Mika The InuOokami Hanyou
by jaimed1968
Summary: Who is the mysterious woman who reeks of of wolf and dog demon? How did she arrive in Feudal Japan, dressed in modern cloths? Will she find her family or more questions than answers.Disclaimer: I do not own 'Inuyasha'
1. The Beginning Part One

I'd just like to point out that this chapter and 'The Beginning: Part Two' are the prologue to the actual beginning of the story. They are just background information as to the main character of Mika. I wrote these two chapters to a challenge of a friend of mine during a technical training that we were stuck taking while at work this past May. Needless to say this was more fun than learning how to fix advanced satellite TV equipment over the phone. I hope that those who read the first two chapters read the main story. Thank you for reading this fan fic.

The Beginning: Part One

Feudal Era Japan: 75 to 100 years before Kagome breaks the seal of Inuyasha 

The fight went on for what seemed to be hours. Sesshomaru had met his match. His opponent, a full blood demon bear, was used to close hand-to-hand combat style of fighting. Sesshomaru fought hard and as fast as he could, although they were evenly matched, both were heavily injured and bleeding profusely from various wounds. The Bear was beginning to weaken as Sesshomaru broke the brute's arm. With Sesshomaru within striking distance, the Bear made contact with his opponent's face with an overhand right, smashing with full force into Sesshomaru's nose. Blood gushed from the nose, causing his sense of smell to be completely incapacitated by his own scent of blood. After a few more jabs, both were gasping for air. Sesshomaru's vision was beginning to become blurry, and he had noticed that the Bear was beginning to stumble over his own feet. Just as suddenly as it had started, the fight was over.

"You fight like the Devil is at your tail, Dog!" The Bear roared, his breathing coming in labored breaths. Sesshomaru just stared at him as best he could, just trying to maintain his balance. The Bear, unfazed by his opponent's lack of words, continued, "Let's call this match a draw and pick it up after we've recovered our strength a bit."

"You're afraid to die. That is why you stall like this. Let's finish this battle that you started," Sesshomaru replied. With what stamina he had left, Sesshomaru launched his final attack. He zigzagged toward his opponent. His poisoned claws hung at the ready, to strike his final blow on the Bear. Before he reached his target, the Bear hit him in the chest with full force, launching him backwards onto the ground on his back, knocking the wind out of him. The impact cracked several ribs, and caused him to black out, completely losing consciousness. The Bear looked at his unconscious opponent.

"I told you we should take this up again later. With both my arms in working order, I'll rip you apart. For now I'll leave you here. If you die, oh well. That just means that I got the upper hand on you. Until next time," The Bear turned and lumbered carefully away to his nearby mountain cave to lick his wounds and let his arm heal. He had not expected the savage beating that Dog demon had dished out. He was a fairly powerful fighter with both fists and a sword.

A short time after the Bear demon left the unconscious Sesshomaru, a young maiden happened upon the scene. Her fiery red hair hung about her shoulders, as her blue eyes took in the entire battle scene before her. When they fell upon Sesshomaru, she rushed to his side, noting the bloody face and numerous cuts about his torso, arms and handsome face. Despite her lithe frame and average size, she pulled him as far from the battle field as possible to a place of safety near her village. Her wolf demon blood assisted in her strength for the effort that it took to move Sesshomaru to safety. Once he was in the small cave, lying upon a mound of leaves and moss, the young maiden collected water, medicinal herbs and clean bandages to help care for the injured lord. Carefully, she removed his haori and under shirt, revealing a well muscled chest with numerous cuts and bruises. Enlisting the assistance of another young wolf demon, Akane bathed the deep wounds with clean water, clearing away the dried blood and debris so that she could apply medicinal herbs to assist in the already fast healing abilities of the full demon. Once his chest wounds had been cared for, Akane moved to his handsome face. As with the previous wounds, Akane carefully cleaned the blood from his face and neck. She noticed some blood having dried into his beautiful silvery hair. Once his face was cleared, Akane carefully set his nose to where it was originally placed. By the time all of Sesshomaru's wounds had been cared for, Akane washed his hair, removing the blood and mud from it as well. She took his clothing to the river and washed them as well, taking great care in removing the blood without damaging the delicate material. Knowing that he would awaken shortly, she quickly finished her cleaning, leaving him alone for a short period of time to locate some clean water to drink and a blanket to cover him with. When she returned, he stirred in his sleep, no doubt lost in a dream of a previous battle. She covered him and went to another corner of her cave.

Akane knew that taking in this particular Dog demon was dangerous due to his reputed dislike of humans. Even though Akane lived in a Wolf demon tribe, she was only half demon. Her father was one of a group of marauders who had abducted her wolf demon mother and other women. After the assault on the women, Akane's mother was able to escape back to her tribe. Her wolf demon mate accepted the infant that was born shortly there after as his own flesh and blood, despite the faint human scent. Akane grew up as a Wolf demon, and yet, knew that she was not like the others in that she had no desire to kill humans needlessly as some of the others did. She stayed mostly to herself after her parents died from a surprise attack when she was little. By then the only family she had left was her full demon half-brother Koga. Due to her dislike of his ways, she had traveled a half-mile or so from the tribe and lived mainly by herself in a cave near the river, down stream from the tribe.

As night fell, Akane lit a small fire from dried wood and cooked a couple of fish from the river. She ate the fish slowly remembering the night that her parents were brutally murdered. Suddenly a voice from the dark shocked her from her memories. "Is there any water?" Akane looked around, lost in thought, and then focused on the corner where her guest laid. He had propped himself onto his left side, gazing intently at Akane.

She stammered a bit before saying, "I will get some for you, my lord." With hast she grabbed a small bucket and raced to the river for the requested water. When she returned, Sesshomaru was sitting up, and carefully pulling on his undershirt. Akane set the bucket before him, and kneeled respectfully in front of him. "My lord, you are badly wounded and need to let your body heal. Please stay for a few days to allow the wounds to mend themselves. The additional medicinal herbs that I included in the bandages will help your body heal faster. I've also had to reset your nose, so your sense of smell is severely limited until it also has a chance to heal," she pleaded.

"Where am I? And who are you?" Sesshomaru demanded.

Akane diverted her eyes as she returned to her meek dinner. "You are in a cave of the Wolf demon tribe, a great distance from where you were in battle earlier today. I was drawn to the site by the smell of blood and the horrific sounds of clashing bodies and snapping of limbs." She stirred the coals of her dying fire, adding a couple more pieces of wood which added a little more light to the small cave. Once she regained her composure, Akane continued, "My name is Akane, of the Wolf demon tribe. My half-brother, Koga is the next in line of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe. They are upstream from here near the waterfall."

Sesshomaru looked around at the small cave and asked, "So you live here by yourself, away from the tribe?" He grasped the bucket of water and drank his fill before putting it back down. His hands were shaking from the little effort that it took to pick up the water. Taking stock of his situation, Sesshomaru laid back onto the pile of leaves, resting his hands upon his chest and closed his eyes.

Akane looked upon the resting lord and replied, "I like the solitude of being alone. The tribe is so noisy and smelly, that I just left. I wander up there every now and then to see what's new, but for the most part I leave them alone. I like it better this way." By then a soft, rhythmic sound filled the cave to signify that Sesshomaru had fallen asleep. Akane looked upon his resting body and was relieved that he had not asked about her human scent. Unfortunately, she realized that his nose would soon heal and he may be furious that she did not tell him outright about her human scent. After finishing her fish, Akane laid upon her pile of leaves and thought of her brief conversation with Sesshomaru.

Early the next morning, Akane retrieved another bucket of fresh water and placed it near the resting lord. She noticed a couple of bandages had seeped some blood through the night and she wanted to change them relatively soon. He stirred in his sleep as she gazed over his muscular body, falling farther in love with this man whom she had taken in to her home.

"Why are you standing there?" he asked, as he glanced at her through half closed eyes, moving slightly onto his left side to reach for the bucket of water.

Akane knelt down, assisting him with the water bucket. "I was just checking on the bandages. There are a few on your chest that I would like to change out, if you don't mind," she replied meekly.

"Do as you wish." He let the blanket that was covering the majority of his chest; fall to his waist as he rose into a sitting position. His muscular arms hung at his sides, with his hands in lap. Akane moved slowly forward, the new bandages nearby with the medicinal herbs. Carefully she removed the dressings from his arms, back and chest. As each bandage was removed, she washed the wound, applied the herbs and reapplied a new dressing. Where some of the minor wounds were located, only a faint red line remained. Once she was done, Akane took the old bandages out and cleaned them in the river. She returned a short time later with some gathered nuts and berries, offering to share them with Sesshomaru.

"I don't need them. Just let me be," as he rolled onto his side toward the cave wall. Shortly he was asleep again, restoring his energy and allowing his wounds to mend.

Akane didn't mind his standoffishness; she was use to being treated like that from the other Wolf demons. With her mixed blood, the other demons were afraid that she would not be loyal to them in a fight against humans, that she would become a traitor and fight against the Wolves. Because of the mixed signals that she was getting from them was her main desire to live alone, away from their presence. She returned to the river to go fishing for more food for her dinner.

Awhile later, after the fish were cooked, she requested Sesshomaru to allow her to redo the bandages again. As Akane removed the bandages she realized that his body was recovering faster than she had thought. Only a few deep wounds still remained. She figured that they would be completely healed within the next day or so with the most severe wound being his nose. She redressed those needing to be dressed and retired to her sleeping area.

Later that night, as the full moon bathed the cave entrance with its pale light, Akane was awakened by movement near the back of the cave. She lay still as soft footfalls passed by her motionless body toward the mouth of the cave. When the figure was silhouetted in the mouth of the cave, Akane gasped slightly at the wonderful sight. The moonlight caught Sesshomaru's silvery hair, causing it to appear almost a brilliant white. His bare chest, back and arms, although slightly bandaged, appeared as if chiseled from marble. To Akane, he appeared as if a god among men with a strong, noble presence and rippling hard body.

"Are you awake?" he asked, without turning his head, conscious of her steady gaze on his body.

Slightly embarrassed, Akane shifted on her bed and rolled away from the cave entrance, focusing her attention to the back of the cave. "I'm sorry if I offended you, my lord. I was just startled when you got up is all. I didn't mean to intrude." Akane wiped a tear that had started to flow down her cheek. Wishing to be able to run her hands over the muscular body, and yet knowing that it would never happen because of her lineage. As she lay on her bed, Akane heard the footsteps move from the mouth of the cave toward her. A slight hesitation, maybe even a misstep and the footsteps stopped. Akane lay motionless, her heart in her throat, beating loud and wildly, as she tried to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, she felt a weight shift on her bed of leaves and a strong hand slowly caressing her bare shoulder. His breath was warm against the back of her neck as he slowly kissed the nape. As he kissed her neck, Akane melted at his touch. She let herself go into his strong and powerful embrace. As the full moon cruised across the early morning sky, she let herself go into sweet oblivion.

Early the next morning, Akane crept from her bed. Sesshomaru stirred slightly as she slid from his embrace. Gathering her clothes and armor, she exited the cave and washed in the river. With her mind reeling from the previous evening, Akane became oblivious to her surroundings and imminent danger. Suddenly, Akane was grabbed from behind in a fierce bear hug that threatened to crush her ribs. As she tried to scream, her mouth was covered with a huge hand and a "shushing" sound was heard at her ear.

"We don't want to draw his attention just yet. I have a plan that will lure him out into the open and you're the bait. I never fancied that he would go for the likes of you, seeing his dislike for even his half demon brother. I wonder if he knows, since his sense of smell is slightly impaired," a gruff voice came from behind her. Relying on her wits, Akane bit down on the hand that covered her mouth. Blood poured into her mouth as her fangs dug deeper into the leathery flesh of his palm. Suddenly, the grip around her chest went a little slack. She released her grip on his hand and slipped from his grasp. Akane raced away from the lumbering Bear. While running in a zigzagging pattern, she led the Bear away from her cave, toward the waterfall and her Wolf demon tribe. Before she is able to reach the waterfall, the Bear lunges at her, knocking her to the ground in a crushing blow. With the wind knocked out of her, Akane could only struggle to get away from the brute.

He rolled her over on to her back, straddling her body and effectively pinning her to the ground. In one hand he held her arms as she tried to claw at the Bear's face, leaving a set of three long and deep scratches from his forehead down his right cheek to his chin. He roared in pain and hit her with his free hand, knocking her unconscious. Before he was able to regain his footing, the Bear was struck by a snake like whip that pierced his heart and cut him down.

Sesshomaru gazed over the scene before him, taking in for the first time the scent of the woman who had helped heal his wounds and with whom he had made love to. His mind raced with the anger of being deceived in such a fashion, to have been lied to blatantly about the human blood that flowed through her veins. When he had awoken in the cave, alone on the bed of leaves, he breathed normally and a faint scent of human mixed with wolf began to permeate his senses. As he dressed to leave the cave, the scent of the same mix was laced into the clean clothing as well, driving his dislike for humans even further into a frenzy. As he exited the cave, the overpowering scent from the Bear covered the faint mixed human-wolf scent. He followed the scent like a blood hound on an escaped convict. When he saw the scene of Akane struggling in a desperate attempt to get away from the Bear and the scent of her human blood assaulting his nose his anger reached its peak. With one hand he killed the Bear, a whip spiraled from his fingers and sliced through the Bear, piercing his heart and cutting him down without a sound. The Bear fell heavily to the ground, falling off of Akane. Sesshomaru stood silent vigil over the fallen demons, contemplating his next move. Akane began to regain consciousness a short while later, by slowly opening her eyes and taking stock of her surroundings. When her eyes fell upon Sesshomaru, she knew that he knew about her human blood.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in a quiet, but deadly voice. "You had plenty of opportunity, and yet you kept this from me."

Akane slowly rose to a sitting position. She lowered her eyes to prevent direct eye contact with his piercing gaze. Gaining what little poise she had, Akane said, "There is no excuse for what I did. I knew about your dislike of humans, and I should have been upfront with you. I guess it was for selfish reasons, but I never meant for what happened last night to occur. That was purely accidental, but I will not say that it didn't mean something to me, for it did. I will not let what happened become a horrible memory for me. It meant a lot in regards to the way that you came to me and your caress. If you don't feel the same way, then just leave and forget about me." Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood from a shattered lip.

He turned, leaving his back toward her. "You disgust me," was all he said as he walked away from her. Akane crumpled onto the ground, writhing in grief of his treatment, in contrast to his loving embrace just a few short hours ago. In a last ditch effort to win him back, Akane lunged from the ground and raced toward his retreating silhouette. When she was within a few feet from Sesshomaru, he turned and struck her in the shoulder. His claws, slick with poison, easily sliced through the armor of her protected right shoulder as if it were tissue paper. She screamed, like the wolf howl of an animal in pain.

As he withdrew the claws from her shoulder, he said, "If you value your life, you will leave me be. I feel that I was more than generous in leaving you unscathed in the clearing. However, now you are tempting fate and my generosity is waning fast." He turned and in a flash was gone, leaving Akane with an ache in her heart and a wound to remember him by.

Akane returned to the cave a short while later, the poison sapping what little energy she had left. She collapsed at the entrance to her home, exhausted and faint from lack of blood. A few seconds later, three Wolf demons raced by in pursuit of a runaway meal. One tripped on the sprawled out form of Akane, falling head first into the gravel of the river.

"Hey… Koga! I need some help back here." He cried, looking back at what he had tripped over. The leader of the trio stopped and looked back. His blue eyes scanned the area that his friend had fallen.

"What is it Ginta? Did you fall over some drift wood?" he asked.

Ginta looked back at the female body, noting the blood on her back and replied, "No, not drift wood. But it looks like your sister. She's wounded and unconscious." Koga ran back to the scene. He smelled the air and found it permeated by both Dog and Bear smells.

He reached his injured sister and looked over her wounds. "It looks as if she was attacked. The poison is draining her energy; we need to get her back to the tribe to get her help. I've never see this type of wound before. I hope that we are not too late in getting her some help." He picked her up and carried her back to the village, running as fast as he could. Despite her human blood, she was still kin and he loved her as if she were full blood. He was one of the few who cared about her like that. What he disliked about the tribe was the ostracizing that they had when it came to her. It was their sever dislike of her human half that forced her away in the first place, now it may have killed her because of their stubbornness.

When he arrived back at the tribe with his frail package, Koga immediately headed to a healer who took control of Akane's care. She cleaned the wound and with leeches, removed as much of the toxin from her shoulder as possible. With some medicinal herbs and a fresh wrap of bandages, Akane's shoulder was ready for the healing process.

When Akane awoke, she was questioned by Koga as to what had happened, who attacked her and why she didn't call for help. Akane was vague in responses and only said that she had been attacked by a Bear demon that had startled her. When asked about the Dog demon smell near her cave, she declined any knowledge and passed it off as a stray looking for a new home


	2. The Beginning Part Two

**The Beginning: Part II**

Fall passed into winter and winter into spring. Akane could no longer hide her condition and she knew that the other Wolf demons suspected her imminent delivery. On a harsh late spring night, a storm raged outside her cave as Akane went into labor. On this particular night, Akane was at her most vulnerable in her pure human form. Koga had been called to the cave by one of the attending midwives. "She has asked for you. Make it brief, for she is not long for this world." His heart jumped into his throat as he heard this horrific news. Tears came to his eyes as he realized his sister's fate and that of her unborn child.

He approached her cautiously, not wanting to disturb her sleeping infant that lay in her weak mother's arms. "You've asked for me, Akane?" he inquired in a quiet, loving tone. With a flick of his wrist, the attending midwives moved out of the cave, leaving the two siblings with some privacy.

"Koga, I want you to know who the father of this child is. It is Lord Sesshomaru. He doesn't know of her birth. I know that my time here is short and I want you to swear to me that you will take this child to Totosai, the sword smith. As well as one of my fangs and have it carved into the shape of a wolf howling at the new crescent moon. I want you to leave the child with him, and Myoga the flea as well. Have Myoga write the heritage of this child on her shoulder so that when she gets old enough that she will know her lineage of wolf, human, dog and demon." She gazed up into his loving face, seeing also the uncertainty and confusion at her request.

"Why must it be like this? Do you not feel that I could raise this child as my own? Why do I have to do this request that you are asking of me? I don't understand!" he cried. Tears ran down his cheeks as the confusion raced through his mind.

After taking a few moments to compile her thoughts, Akane took her brother's hand and replied, "I fear that when he finds out that he has a child with human blood, even just a quarter, that he will try and kill her. She is more powerful that I and gets most of that from him. I fear for the tribe as well as your safety. I know that between the two, that she will be safe and that they will be able to find a way to better protect her. I plead with you in regards to this issue, dear brother. I love you both and I don't want either of you to die because of my selfish desires." Her hand went slack in his powerful grip. He knew that she was near death.

Chocking back the tears of sorrow, Koga replied, "I will do as you ask, and if possible, I will do my best to protect her if they are unable to." She smiled faintly looking into his stormy blue eyes and carefully handed him her sleeping infant.

"Please, Koga. Go to them as fast as you can, for this child is in grave danger. As like me, she will be in human form for the night of the new crescent moon, in the morning, when the sun's rays peak the skyline, she will go into her demon form and then all will know her true father, Lord Sesshomaru. Ask the flea to place a spell on her to keep her in human form as long as he can to protect her. I thank you for this last request." Akane's eyes closed then opened one last time. "Now go, with the child and keep her safe. The faster you get to the sword smith the safer the tribe will be." She closed her eyes, one last time, and then she lay quiet. A look of peace and tranquility covered her face as she passed on, leaving the sleeping infant and her grieving brother.

Minutes after her passing, Koga pulled a canine from her peaceful mouth, bravely fighting back the tears of his loss. With the tooth in hand and the infant swaddled against all elements, he headed out into the raging storm. He traveled as far as he could before the cold affected his legs. Koga stopped for brief periods of time to warm up before setting out again on his journey. Within a few hours, he was out of the raging storm and traveling on fleet feet toward Totosai's hut on a volcanic plain. When he arrived, two hours from sunrise, he saw the old demon fast asleep on his bed. With a stern kick, Koga roused the old demon from his slumber.

"What is it? What do you want?" Totosai demanded. He looked around and saw the young male demon. "Oh it's just you. What can I do for you, young Wolf demon?"

"I have a final request from my sister that I'm trying to finish if you don't mind old man. She requested that you carve her fang into a wolf howling at a new crescent moon for her infant daughter," Koga replied, tossing the tooth to the old demon.

Totosai looked at the tooth carefully, and replied, "I can have it done for you in a few days. It will take some time. Is there anything else that I can do for you, young Wolf?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm also looking for Myoga the Flea; I have a small package that I need to leave with him. Do you know where I can find him?" Koga responded.

Myoga leapt from Totosai's grizzled head onto Koga's arm. "I'm here, my lord. What may I be of service to you for?" He looked at the bundle in Koga's arms. Upon further investigation, he realized that it was a child.

"This child is why I'm here, Myoga. My sister was a half demon and the father of this child she feared would destroy both the Wolf demon tribe and the child. My sister died a short while ago and she requested that you place a spell on her daughter to prevent the demonic transformation, as well as find a safe place for this child away from danger and her Dog demon father." Koga gazed at his little reddish-blond headed niece as she slept soundly. She had not made a sound or stirring during the whole trip.

Myoga's eyes grew wide as he stammered, "You don't mean, Lord Sesshomaru?! He is not tolerant of humans or half-demons. Take his poor brother for example. If it were not for the Father, Inuyasha would have died a mere infant, barely an hour old. I understand your plight, young Wolf."

Over the next half an hour, Koga told Myoga and Totosai of Akane's final request and that she left them her child for protection, knowing that they would protect her. Shortly, there after, Koga bid a final farewell to his niece. He turned to Totosai and said, "I have a request of my own for the pendant that my sister asked for you to make. Please write the name Mika on the wolf, that way she will be able to have a name that was given to her by family."

"I think that I can do that. It will be done shortly. Are you sure that you don't want to stay?" He asked.

"No. It's best that I leave now, to further her safety."

Koga headed toward the door. His niece still wrapped in the same blanket that she was given to him in. She lay sleeping on the bed of the old demon, oblivious to all that happened around her. The pounding of the hammer from Totosai's forge did not faze the child in her slumber. Koga bent down and kissed her one last time. "Stay safe, little Mika. Your mother and I love you very much and feel that this is the best for your safety." She cooed quietly as his lips brushed her tender pink forehead. Her eyes fluttered opened briefly, looking at him with her mother's blue eyes, and then closed as she fell back asleep. He turned and left, never looking back, as tears streamed down his face. In a cloud of dust, Koga was gone.

Myoga observed the young child, mulling over the situation of what to do for the young infant. He knew of Lord Sesshomaru and his dislike of the human element. Myoga recalled the last conversation that a then young Lord Sesshomaru had with his father before the birth of his half brother. He looked over at Totosai and observed the master at work. As Totosai worked his magic on the canine, Myoga completed his task of creating the tattoo of her heritage into the words requested onto her right shoulder. Despite his minimal size, Myoga knew that the demon ink he used would grow with the child and never fade or stretch out of shape as a regular tattoo would. Within the hour, a few moments before sunrise, the canine had been shaped and transformed into the pendant. Once it was completed, Myoga quickly cast the spell on the young child, binding as best he could the demonic blood that flowed in her veins. With the addition of the pendant made similar in nature to the Tetsusaiga, he was sure that the child would remain human for, he figured at least 100 years. He hoped that would be enough to keep her safe, for a little bit at least from Sesshomaru.

Totosai slipped the pendant onto a micro thin chain of silver. Mixed with the metal, making it virtually unbreakable were the cast offs from the fang that was used to forge the Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga souvenirs that he'd held onto for centuries. Having seen the infant and the strong family resemblance he figured the old general wouldn't mind. After some brief reminiscing he slipped the necklace and pendant into the blanket near the infant's skin as he rewrapped her.

After the spells were cast and the sun shimmered over the plain, Mika began to fuse and fidget in her confining wrap. Totosai took up the child and headed for the cave entrance. Myoga leaped after him. "What are you going to do with the child, Totosai?"

"I'm going to do the same thing to her that we did with the master's old sword Sounga," the old demon replied. Jumping limberly onto the back of his flying bull, Totosai cradled the infant with care and headed toward the Bone-Eaters Well. Myoga leaped onto the cow and together they delivered the now fussy child to their destination.

"If what they say is true about this well, the young child will be fine and be safe from Sesshomaru. I would just like to get this done and over with before he finds out that we had anything to do with this. I'm betting that he's still mad at us about giving him Tenseiga instead of the Tetsusaiga." They lowered the child into the well and left, never looking back at the well, nor acknowledged the crying coming from inside. They flew away, until the crying seized. Neither curious nor indifferent, the two fled back to Totosai's home on the plain, hoping that the child would be well protected and cared for.


	3. The Rift

**The Rift**

Modern Era Japan: April 1998

"What was I thinking?" Mika thought as she collected her bags from the Tokyo International Airport baggage claim. "Coming halfway around the world to a place I know very little about, to a family I can barely remember, and to a country were I don't remember any of the customs, or for that matter little if anything about the place!" She leaned forward and grabbed a large duffle bag off the turn style. "For now, they are all that I have since my folks died. Despite what mom said about me being adopted on her death bed, the Higurashi's are all the "family" that I have left. Since the Shrine was where I was found, maybe they have some clues as to my real family," Mika surmised as her thoughts raced through her mind as she hailed a cab at the airport with her duffle bag of clothing at her feet, and her backpack hanging off her shoulder. At 5'4" Mika Jones was just an average 19 year-old girl traveling from her home in America to visit her family in Japan. Her strawberry-blond tresses hung down her back, brushing the waist of her black mid-thigh skirt, which showed off her very tan athletic legs and her comfortable leather sandals. The blue of her dress shirt closely matched her light blue eyes which took in all of her current surroundings. Her lithe frame felt more at home in jeans, hiking boots and a T-shirt than the business casual dress in which she traveled. Since this was her first time meeting her extended family in a number of years, she felt that it was appropriate for the business casual attire than the Tee shirt and jeans approach.

Once in the cab, after giving the driver her destination, Mika thought back to the past two weeks of her life. Both of her parents, Commander Jason Jones of the United States Navy and Ayame Higurashi Jones, had been killed by a drunk driver while returning to their country home in Jerome, Idaho from an early birthday celebration for Mika. Her birthday was actually later in the month, but since her father was taking a group of Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (NJROTC) cadets on a week trip over spring break to a mini boot camp out of state, they celebrated as a family early.

Two weeks previous…

They had gone to her favorite restaurant at Cactus Pete's in Jackpot, Nevada and had taken in a show. By the time they had hit Hollister on US 93, a set of headlights were barreling toward them. Without any warning, the lights swerved into their lane and hit the car head on. Jason was killed instantly and Ayame had been pinned in the front passenger seat, which caused extensive internal injuries. Mika had braced herself for the impact which resulted in a sprained wrist and a whiplash induced concussion. In spite of the numerous bumps, bruises, cuts from flying glass and the concussion she walked away from the accident virtually unscathed. A passing motorist had stopped and assisted the family as best he could before the authorities arrived with an ambulance. Ayame was extracted from the vehicle and rushed to the Magic Valley Regional Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho with Mika holding her hand. Once they reached the hospital, Mika was advised of the extensive internal bleeding that was quickly killing her mother. According to the doctors, nothing could be done to save her other than to make her as comfortable as possible, and that Mika should spend what little time she had with her mother. After receiving medical treatment herself, Mika stayed at her mother's bed side. During the brief time she had with her mother, Mika listened to the story of how she'd been found at the family's Shinto shrine in Tokyo in an old abandoned well.

"When your father was stationed in Tokyo as a new officer in the US Navy, we met, fell in love, and got married. We stayed near the Higurashi Shrine to be near my family. When I found you, Mika, you had been considered a blessing from above. Due to various reasons, neither Jason nor I could have children. Instead of looking for your biological parents, we had claimed you as our own. Looking back now, it seemed a bit selfish on our part, but we considered you to be our own flesh and blood." Shortly there after, Ayame passed on, leaving a bewildered, confused, and to Mika, a newly orphaned child behind.

Present…

Mika surveyed the cityscape of Tokyo from the window of the cab, scarcely seeing the numerous people and buildings other than just brief blurs of colors and shapes. Her mind recalled the phone conversation that she had with her aunt a few days before. As the phone rang, Mika hoped that she would get an answering machine.

A few days previous…

"Hello, Higurashi residence, Sota speaking," a young male voice answered from the other end.

Mika's heart skipped a beat, as she asked, "May I speak with Midori Higurashi please?" For a split second, she thought, her call had been a mistake, and what she had experienced for the last few days had been a horrific nightmare she was going to awaken from shortly.

"Hang on a sec. I'll get her for you," replied the young man. In the back ground, Mika could hear "Mom, telephone!!!" He came back and said, "She'll be with you in a minute or two. She's in the kitchen making some lunch."

Mika replied, "Thank you. I'll wait." She looked at a few pictures her mom had put into a photo album of her Aunt Midori, Grandpa, and her cousins Kagome and Sota. The pictures were taken around the previous Christmas. Mika didn't recall much about Grandpa or Aunt Midori; she was very little when they left Tokyo after her father had been relocated to Jerome before either of her cousins were born.

Lost in deep thought, Mika was startled back to her phone conversation by a little static and a womanly, "Hello?"

"Aunt Midori?" Mika replied.

"Yes. Mika… I'm so glad to hear from you," her aunt replied.

A couple of tears streamed down her face as Mika replied, "I'm calling because mom and dad are gone and mom told me some things..." Unable to hide her emotions any longer, the sobbing overtook her calm demeanor and she let the tears flow, almost in hysterics she said, "Oh, Aunt Midori, I'm alone now, what will I do?"

"Its okay, Mika, I understand your sorrow. We received word about the accident shortly after it happened. I'm sorry that Grandpa, Kagome, Sota nor I could be at the funeral, but we send you our love and condolences." Midori replied as calming a way as she could, her heart going out to her niece in her time of sorrow and loss. A few minutes later, Mika regained her composure and thanked her aunt for her concern.

Once again in control of her emotions, Mika said, "The reason for my call is to see if I can stay for a while with you and Grandpa while I figure out what to do. With dad's life insurance and the money they had saved up, I'm pretty well set for a while, but I need to be with family right now. If you don't have the room, I'll understand and I can just change my plans."

"Nonsense, you're family and we would love to have you here. Sota and Kagome will be more than happy to have you come and visit. I'm sure they would just love to hear about all your life in America and they would love to show you around here as well," Midori replied, quelling any denial of the invitation.

Within a matter of minutes the details of the trip were exchanged between the two and Mika hung up the phone feeling a lot better than she had when she called. She remembered hearing her mother say that to the Higurashis family was important and they looked after their own flesh and blood very well. Mika looked over her home of 15 years. Memories flooded through her mind of all that had taken place there. Mika's best friend, Amy, had agreed to watch her home while she visited the Higurashis to recover from the sudden shock of abandonment.

Amy told her, as they left for the airport, "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll make sure everything is fine and just let me know when you'll be back!"

As soon as all the details were taken care of Mika boarded the airplane at the Twin Falls Airport, and headed to Tokyo by way of Salt Lake City and San Francisco for what she figured would be approximately a month retreat to help mend her broken spirit. Little did she know that she what awaited her in Tokyo.

Present…

As the cab finally pulled in front of the Higurashi Shrine, Mika pulled money for the cab fair and a substantial tip from her backpack, and she thanked the cabbie in Japanese. She stepped away from the cab and removed her bags from the trunk. The yellow cab pulled away from the Shrine, leaving Mika to her memories and the unfortunately long trek up the hill. Luckily, Mika was use to the long hike having hunted with her father in the rugged mountains of North-Central Idaho for the past few years.

Mika took in a deep breath of the clean air, slightly recognizing the faint odors from very brief, fleeting memories. "We'll here goes nothing. Let's get this over with," she sighed as she carefully bent down to pick up her bags.

Before her hands touched either her duffle bag or back pack, the earth beneath her feet began to rumble and shake. In horror, Mika realized too late the ground had opened a savage gouge into the pavement and sidewalk of which she stood on. Unable to move onto the balls of her feet to regain her balance quickly, Mika scrambled for a stationary piece of ground. From her shaky perch, she glanced down into the ever widening chasm. Suddenly her perch lurched forward, dumping her into the chasm without notice. Trying desperately to catch hold of a hand or foot hold, Mika scraped her finger nails to the quick, leaving bloody trails. When she realized she would be unable to save herself, she screamed in both frustration, and excruciating pain as her body was bombarded with rocks ranging in size from those of base balls to mere pebbles. As the sound left her body, it transformed into the howl of an animal in pain which sounded across the town, drawing attention for those both near and far.


	4. The Attack of the Bandits

**The Attack of the Bandits**

Feudal Era Japan: After Kagome Broke the seal of Inuyasha

The night before Mika's arrival, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kagome stared into a fire, in Feudal Era, Japan, while fish were cooking on sticks over the flame. "Why do I have to go back to my own time tomorrow? Mom is being so unreasonable!" Kagome whined as the fish cooked.

Sango asked, "What's going on Kagome? You've been agitated about something since you came back four days ago." She unconsciously petted Kirara as she waited for the response.

Kagome looked deeply into the flame, searching for an explanation. "Mom asked that I be home for an important surprise guest. She's been cleaning the house for the last few days after she got a mysterious phone call late last week. I'm guessing that by the way that Mom and Grandpa are fretting about the shrine it must be an investor or travel agency who wants to make the shrine an even more popular tourist attraction. Why I have to be there is beyond me. But I said I would." She grabbed a cooked fish and began to dig into the flaky flesh.

"To me, it sounds like a reasonable request," Sango replied.

Miroku agreed with Sango as he also dug into the fish. From a little ways off, Inuyasha said, "I don't like the idea of having to wait longer to find Naraku's Heart. The more time he gets ahead of us, the harder it will be to find it."

Kagome sighed as she replied, "I know. I feel the same way, but this came up all of a sudden. You know, looking back at the past few weeks at home, I do remember Grandpa receiving a phone call about my Aunt Ayame passing on. I wonder if that has anything to do with this request to come home early. I could be wrong." She curled up on her sleeping bag, letting her thoughts travel the gauntlet of what the request meant and desire to get out of it. The others fell asleep shortly after Kagome, each deep into their own thoughts and dreams as they slept.

Early the next morning, Kagome awoke and asked Kirara to fly her back to the Bone-Eater's Well, the passage between Feudal Era Japan with Modern Japan. She'd grabbed her huge backpack and climbed onto the two-tailed cat's back. Before Kirara took off, Inuyasha grasped Kagome's hand.

"Be careful. I'm getting an uneasy feeling and don't quite know how to explain it. I just want you to be safe," he said, despite his gruff exterior, concern pouring through his voice.

Kagome thought, "Man, this is not quite like him. I wonder what's got into him." Regaining her composure, she replied, "Thanks Inuyasha, but I'll be fine. I'll be back shortly. Hopefully I can sneak away and get back here quickly. Who knows?" She let his hand go as Kirara leapt into the air and flew toward the well.

A short while later, after Kirara returned to the group, Inuyasha began to fret more and more, making even the others nervous, and a little annoyed. "Inuyasha, why don't you go with Kagome and put us all at ease. Your impatience is beginning to wear on my nerves," Miroku commented.

Sango replied, "I agree with Miroku. We'll be fine here. We're not that far from Kaede's village. I'm sure we can make it there before you two get back. I'm almost positive Kagome would like to have company that isn't too much of a surprise."

"Besides, I think you'll finally get out of your system whatever it is that's causing you to fuss about," Shippo piped in.

Inuyasha looked at the trio and asked, "Are you sure that you don't mind me leaving you like this?"

"Go!!!" all three yelled in unison. In a flash of red he was gone, not needing to be told a second time.

Miroku looked after Inuyasha, "I hope the uneasy feeling he's been getting doesn't come to fruition. Shippo, have you had any strange feelings lately?"

"I don't think so. Although, I have this deep aching hunger for some of Kaede's cooking. She makes some of the best stew I've ever had."

Sango looked over at Miroku. A look of concentration crossed his face. "Miroku, what are you thinking about?"

"I've noticed the lack of animal and bug sounds for the last hour. I'm hoping this is not an indication of an impending earthquake. I'd prefer to be at Kaede's village shortly." He replied ominously.

Sango looked around as she said, "I've noticed the lack of birds flying about. It's almost as if everything is holding it's breath in anticipation." Just then Sango turned to Kirara and asked, "Would you get us to Kaede's village quickly please? I agree with Miroku about the impending danger." In response to her mistress' request, Kirara mewed once and transformed back into her full-sized demon form. Sango swung on to her back first, with her Hiraikotsu hanging off one side. Miroku swung up behind her, placing his staff around her middle to hang on with. Shippo jumped onto Kirara's big furry head, holding on for dear life. In a single bound, Kirara was airborne, flying at a steady rate toward the village. Unlike her human counterparts, she'd been sensing the tension building in the ground for some time and had been relieved to be airborne.

Shortly after the big-two tailed cat leaped from the ground, it began to shiver and shake in a violent manner. As suddenly as it started, the shaking ceased. The only evidence of the minor tremor was in the bruised, battered and unconscious girl lying in a pile of broken branches, leaves and rocks. For what seemed to be hours, she laid on the bed of debris. Blood from her scalp covered her face in a sticky layer of blood and mixed with the dirt and leaves which she laid upon. Slowly and carefully, Mika awoke from the concussion induced sleep as the sounds of flies and other insects assaulted her ears. She slowly moved to a sitting position, drawing her legs closer to her body. Mika put her hand to her face. When she drew it away she saw the blood, dirt and debris.

"What happened, and for that matter where am I?" she thought as she looked around the clearing. Her eyes took in every tree, rock and animal in the clearing, as her brain analyzed the situation. As her thought went on "survival mode," Mika checked her body carefully for broken bones and excessive bleeding. Other than the rather large scrape on her head, the remaining scratches were minor, nothing worse than cat scratches really. She soon realized her skirt and blouse were ruined from large rips in the delicate fabric and the ground in blood and dirt stains.

"I must look a fright. Hopefully I can find a creek or river nearby to wash some of this blood off with," she thought as she slowly moved to her feet. Luckily as she tried to regain her footing, Mika stumbled a few steps, and then regained her sense of balance as well as footing. She wandered a few feet from the debris pile and found a well traveled path. Taking her chances, she followed the path, unbeknown to her, toward Kaede's village. She met no other travelers on the path as the sun began to fall onto the western horizon, leaving streaks of crimson, orange, yellow and purple across the sky.

As dusk fell, Mika began to smell a very faint scent of smoke. She moved toward the smell, away from the safety of the path. As she got closer to the fire, Mika began to hear voices. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck began to raise, similar to the hackles on a dog, sensing danger. She moved slowly, methodically from tree to tree, trying to get a clear view of the group around the fire without making a sound, a similar tactic that she was shown and had utilized for a few years while hunting with her father. Mika peered around a rather large tree to survey the scene. Before her sat four rather filthy men with their hair pulled back away from their faces. From their attire and weaponry, Mika perceived them to be either warriors or bandits of some sort. Suddenly a wave of pain racked Mika's head. Her eyes saw nothing but lights and her head felt as if it would explode. As she slowly slid to the ground, she noticed a fifth man standing over her rapidly growing limp body.

"Well, well, look at what we have here! This young maiden seems to have been in quite a fight and escaped, only to wind up in our camp! What joy! We will have fun tonight before we kill her," the bandit claimed as he picked her up rather roughly, similar to a bag of rice.

When he entered the clearing and dropped the girl unceremoniously to the ground, the other men started to cheer and moved toward her, anticipating a relief of their forced celibacy since the last village they plundered. Before the closest bandit touched her battered and bruised arm a yell from the leader stopped him in his tracks. "I'm the leader, I should have at her first," he roared.

The others looked at him in rage. "You killed the last three prisoners that we saved and we didn't get anything. This one's ours!" a slightly braver bandit yelled back as he brandished his sword toward the leader, moving in a defensive position between Mika and the leader.

"Do you all feel this way?" the leader asked of the group. A couple of others mumbled that they agreed with the bandit, however, they were willing to wait their turn for respect of the leader. "In that case, have at her then." The leader turned as if to walk away from the group. Letting his guard down, the bandit stuck his sword in its scabbard and turned toward Mika. In the second it took to turn toward her, the leader cut the bandit down. Blood flowed from the nearly severed neck of the guy as he fell onto the seemingly unconscious girl.

Pointing at the dead bandit, the leader said, "Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. As leader, I will take the women prisoners first. Are there any objections?" The men shook their heads, giving the leader a rather wide berth as he moved toward the dead man and Mika.

Unobserved by the group who were focused on their leader, Mika had moved her hand onto the dead man's sword and had eased it as far from the sheath as she could without being detected. Knowing that her life depended on her actions within the next few minutes, she recalled vague, disjointed memories of what she recalled as fencing. As a result of the many knocks to her head, the memories of her past were beginning to become very faint, almost as if a mist hung over her past like a curtain. Suddenly the leader had pulled the dead man off her body and was straddled on top of her. The shock of his weight upon her body jerked her from the memories of the past into the present. Her eyes flew open in rage and fire leapt into them as well, dispelling any of the leader thoughts taking his time with this woman.

As he placed his hands around her neck, the leader smiled an evil, blood thirsty grin. "I'm going to enjoy taking your body against your will many, many times." His hands slowly squeezed the slender neck, causing Mika to consider her options very quickly. With the leader's leg pinning her arm with the sword to the ground, she moved her left as close to him as he could. As the fear of death and the rage of ever deepening hatred for the bandits raged like wildfire, the nails of her left hand grew into long, claws, as well as two long strips crossed the back of her hand and fore arm as a greenish ting slowly encompassed the hand within a matter of a few seconds.

"Any last words, Wench?" the leader asked as he squeezed her slender neck with ever increasing presser.

With her last breath, Mika replied in a mere whisper, "Acid Claw." She jerked her left hand into the leader as his hands almost crushed her windpipe. The hand moved from his soft, unprotected side, under the ribcage and into his heart. As the sulfuric acid from her hand engulfed his heart, the leader let out a horrible scream. With the momentum of the dead leader falling off her body, Mika pulled her arm from his chest and sprang from the ground with the other dead bandit's sword in her right hand. The remainder of the group pulled their swords and encircled the injured maiden. Blood ran down her left arm, dripping onto the ground as she eyed the encircling bandits.

The second-in-command bandit took the lead as he rushed the girl. His sword bit deep into her right shoulder, hitting her collar bone. She howled an inhuman scream of pain that carried on the still night breezes to the nearby village and surrounding areas. With a shift of position, as the bandit withdrew the sword, Mika shifted the grip of her own sword, and pulled the blade in a diagonally upward fashion, slicing him from left hip to the right shoulder. As the others saw the second bandit fall at her hands, they began to lose their nerve. This was not the easy prey they thought she was. Despite the deaths of their comrades at her hands, however, the last two decided to rush her at the same time. With the amount of energy already exerted from killing the first two men, Mika was moving on sheer animal instinct and adrenaline. Her fight or flight receptors were working overtime as her body began to take on a life of its own. As the two men rushed her, Mika whirled with her sword extended. She hit the first man at shoulder level, cleanly separating his head from his body. Unfortunately his sword found its mark in her thigh as the second sword pierced her left shoulder. With the last amount of strength in her left arm that she could muster, she grabbed the last bandit and bore her hand through his gut, burning a gapping hole through to his back.

For a split second, Mika thought she'd caught the scent of an animal not far from her. Turning toward the scent, she spied a young woman dressed in a black suit with pink armor. A rather large boomerang was in her hand, ready for an impending attack. The woman's eyes were wide in horror at the grizzly scene before her. Mika removed her hand from the dead bandit and slowly removed his sword from her shoulder.

Mika threw both swords to the ground at the woman's feet. She moved a step toward the young warrior as she held her right hand out as her left hung at her side. "Please don't hurt me. I…was…only…protecting…myself," Mika said before she stumbled over her own feet and passed out at Sango's feet. The adrenaline rush had subsided and her body returned rapidly to its previous state of shock. Her left arm returned to normal within seconds of her passing out.


	5. The Mysterious Girl

**The Mysterious Girl **

Sango stuck her Hiraikotsu into the ground, near Kirara. She rushed to the girl's side, pulling the last sword from the wounded thigh. Sango was replaying the images of the girl as she fought like a demented demon. Before Sango was even able to assist the girl, she had dealt swiftly with the remaining bandits in a timely fashion. Sango verified the girl was still alive and carefully loaded her onto Kirara's back. Together, they made it quickly back to Kaede's village.

When the trio landed in front of Kaede's hut, Sango cried out for Miroku. He and the elderly priestess, Kaede rushed toward the big cat. "What happened to her?" Miroku asked as he pulled the unconscious girl into his arms, and carried her into the hut.

"She was surrounded by three bandits and proceeded to kill them. Before she passed out at my feet she said it was in self defense, but I did not arrive to see how it started. I was investigating the lone wolf howl when I stumbled upon the sight," Sango replied, rather shaken by the bloody mess that lay on the bedding set near the fire in the hut.

Lady Kaede rushed Miroku out of the hut on an errand of fresh water from the well and Shippo for a few more pieces of fire wood. She glanced at Sango and asked, "Are ye alright, my child? You look rather shaken, more so than ye normally show. Did something happen ye did not want wish to share with them just yet?" She slowly removed what was left of Mika's clothes and began to bath the deepest wounds first as she cared for the young woman.

"She was like a demon, similar in fighting style to Sesshomaru. You know, Inuyasha's brother. The last man was killed when she'd burned a hole through his body with her hand. Although she appears completely human now, her whole left arm had changed before my eyes from claws and markings to normal after she passed out. I don't feel anything demonic about her, but I just can't shake off the images either," Sango replied as she gazed at the peaceful battered face of the girl lying before her. She assisted the priestess in caring for the wounded girl as her mind tried to deal with the slaughter she had just witnessed.

An hour later, after the young woman's wounds had been cleaned with the deeper cuts bandaged with medicinal herbs and clean wraps, she lay in the sleeping area of the hut, covered with a blanket more for decency than for warmth. The others were seated around the fire, eating some rice and vegetables. They spoke quietly as to not awaken their unexpected guest.

"What shall we do with her? It's obvious she's not from around here," Kaede asked.

Miroku thought of the same question. "Well I suppose we're just going to have to wait until Inuyasha and Kagome come back. I had hopped they would be back by now. But then this special guest that Kagome was speaking of may have been a good thing for her and not the hassle she thought it would be." Just as he finished his sentence, Kagome and Inuyasha entered the hut.

Everyone looked up at the duo. "Well, speaking of the devil. What brought you back so soon? We thought you'd be gone for at least two days, if not three," Miroku lied, actually relieved in their speedy return.

"That would have been the case, except we had an earthquake near the shrine that caused a horrific rift to open up and damage some nearby buildings. I'll be here for a few weeks since the school was also damaged and they have to make some extensive repairs. Not only that my cousin is missing. Right after the earthquake happened we heard the lone cry of an animal in pain. Inuyasha followed the sound as best he could and couldn't find anything but her luggage at the base of the shrine," Kagome explained.

Inuyasha looked behind the group to where Mika lay on the sleeping mat. "Who's the girl?"

"We're not sure. Sango brought her back after investigating a strange sound not far from here. She was being attacked by some bandits," Miroku replied.

Moving closer toward the girl, Inuyasha sniffed the air a few times, "Are you sure it was bandits and not wolves. I can smell wolf on her as well as something else. Something very familiar, that I just can't put my finger on." He moved back toward the others, his mind methodically trying to place the familiar smell.

Kagome sat down near Sango as she also looked at the girl. "I wonder who she is," she thought as she looked back at the fire as thinking of the events of that day. Shortly after she arrived back in her time earlier that morning her mother immediately put her to work finishing the cleaning work before the surprise guest arrived.

Within about half an hour after she arrived at home, Inuyasha surprised her with his arrival. Unfortunately, he also was put to work, making everything as spotless and as perfect as they could. As he started to help in the last minute spot cleaning the ground began to shake under their feet. They all headed for cover as the temple grounds shock violently. As the earthquake came to its end, a high pitched lone howl of pain sounded over the shrine. Inuyasha's ears picked up on the sound and followed it toward is source. At the foot of the hill that led to the shrine was the great chasm. He spotted the luggage and peered down into the rift. Inuyasha took a couple of deep breathes, smelling the faint blood mixed into the wall of the rift. He searched the chasm as best he could, but didn't find the source of the blood. When he returned to the shrine, he told Kagome's mom what he found and dropped the luggage and backpack to the ground. She rushed into the house and called the airport. They confirmed Mika's flight had landed and she had caught a cab. Midori then called the cab company and they verified she'd been picked up at the airport and dropped off at the shrine before the earthquake. She thanked them and turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha.

"This is terrible. We have to find her. I hope she's okay." Tears began to well in her eyes as she thought of all the horrible things which could have happened to Mika. Kagome tried to comfort her mother as she moved toward a bookshelf which held some family photos. Midori opened the book and showed a relatively older picture of her niece's family. "This picture was taken about 10 years ago. It's the most current picture that we have. They were supposed to come this past Christmas, however, Jason couldn't get the time off and Ayame didn't want to travel without him. I'll take it down to the police station and have them look for her. Would you and Inuyasha look for her also? I'd appreciate it."

As Kagome looked at the worried look on her mother's face, she replied, "I'll help the best I can. I'm sure even Inuyasha would help out as well. You'll see we'll find her soon." She looked at Inuyasha with a pleading look on her face; however he had left the room.

Inuyasha went outside to clear his head. One thing he'd neglected to tell Kagome about the rift was that he was certain it was not natural, but had been manipulated by Naraku. Inuyasha had caught the faint trace of his demonic odor when he searched for the girl, as well as that of a wolf.

When Kagome came out to him a short time later she said, "Mom finally fell asleep holding onto that book. She feels so bad about losing Mika's family that she's taking it very personally. What do you think happened to her?"

"I followed her scent as far down into the chasm as I could. Unless she got buried alive, I couldn't find her. I should tell you that I believe Naraku is involved with her abduction, but how could he have planned for this to happen?" He looked over the shrine to the Sacred Tree and the building that housed the Bone-Eaters' Well. As he saw these now, he realized that the answers to the missing girl would be found in the past. He was not sure why, but he knew she was in the past and they needed to find her quickly.

With urgency, Inuyasha urged Kagome to pack for the trip to the past. She had received word from the school about its damage and break from school activities for the next few weeks. With this in mind, Kagome packed for at least a two week excursion. She comforted her mother again and told her they would find her cousin and that she trusted Inuyasha's intuition to look into the past for her missing cousin. Once all was set, they leapt into the Bone-Eater's well and into the past.

As the group spoke in hushed tones around the fire, Mika relived the events of the past few hours through her dreams, however, she was seeing them as if a witness and not the victim. As the scene unfolded before her and the leader made his attack on her she screamed. Thrashing about on the bed, a scream escaped her dry parched throat and she sat bolt upright on the bed. The group looked over at her in shock at not only her being awake, but at her near nakedness with bandages covering her both her shoulders and upper torso. Suddenly, the men were knocked on the heads and forcibly thrown from the hut.

"What was that for? It's not like I saw anything!" Inuyasha demanded, rubbing the growing lump between his ears.

Miroku leaned up against the wall of the hut, his lecherous mind recalling the girl's lithe body and what he considered perfect sized breasts. "Now, Inuyasha quit whining so we can hear what's going on. Hopefully we can get some answers to who that girl is."

While tending to the ache on his noggin, Inuyasha came across the discarded remains of the cloths Mika arrived in. Although the blood had dried he immediately recognized it as the same as he smelled at the shrine. With this knowledge he moved back toward the hut and knocked on the door.

"Kagome, can I speak with you a second?" he asked. When she exited the hut he said, "The girl in there is your missing cousin. I found her cloths in a pile of ruble and recognized the smell. I'm beginning to wonder how she got here."

Kagome looked at him deeply, not wanting to accept what he said, and yet knowing he had no reason to lie to her. "You're sure it's Mika? 100 percent sure that it's her?"

He smiled a bit, rather arrogantly, as he replied, "My nose is never wrong. I'm sure it's her. While you get to know her a bit better, I'll go back to your time and tell your mother we've found her."

Before he turned to leave, Kagome rushed forward, embracing him in a hug that spoke volumes. "Thank you for being concerned about my mom. She will appreciate your thought fullness." She let him go and reentered the hut to meet her newly found cousin for the first time. Inuyasha left for the well to complete the errand he'd volunteered for.

As the knocking of heads took place, Mika quickly pulled the covers around her shoulders, covering her near nakedness. She saw Inuyasha and Miroku before they were thrown from the building. Her current fear of men had her shaking uncontrollably beneath the blanket. The only thing which confused her more than her overpowering urge to flee was the curiosity of Inuyasha's appearance.

Kaede moved toward her as she said, "I'm Lady Kaede, a priestess of the village. May we know ye name, child?"

As Mika looked around at the remaining group of women, she recognized the young warrior. She'd also noticed the other woman in what could only be described as a school girl outfit. "Mika," was all that she could say. Then just as her nerves began to settle, a knock on the side of the hut sounded and the girl in the uniform left. Mika was in such a state she hadn't even heard the voice or what had been said.

The young warrior turned to her, "I'm Sango, and the three we threw out were Inuyasha, Miroku, and the young boy is Shippo. If you don't mind my asking how did you get here?"

Mika sat for a few moments in a daze, and then replied, "I'm not sure. My head, I think I hit my head when I fell."

Sango was still concerned about what the girl had done to the bandits when Kagome came back in. "Sorry about that, but at least now I think I have an idea of who you are! Inuyasha said he recognized your scent from before at our shrine! My name is Kagome, and I'm guessing you're my cousin Mika?"

Mika's eyes flew open at Kagome's statement. She faintly remembered were she was supposed to be. Sango and Kaede both looked surprised as Mika stuttered, "Well yes I know my name is Mika, but… my cousin… Kagome, I… I can't remember, what's going on?" Kagome slowly started to tell the short tail of what had happened in her world. Mika sat there as a slow sullen feeling starting to over take her. When Kagome finished she turned to Mika and asked, "Do you remember any of this Mika?"

Mika sat there trying to remember but the only thing she could remember was waking up and then running into the bandits. She also barely remembered how she killed the same bandits that tried to rape her. With a shake Mika replied, "All I remember is waking up with my clothes nearly shredded…my face covered in blood… trying to find help…running into those…those men!" Mika hugged herself as she tried to suppress the urge to cry.

Kagome and Sango looked at each other as Kaede went to Mika's side. "There, there child ye be alright now."

"If you don't mind my asking do you remember what happened to the bandits that attacked you?" Sango asked.

Mika looked from Sango to Kagome, and after taking some water Kaede handed her, Mika said in a shaky voice, "I… uh… I was just trying to see who they were, and then another one hit me over the head. I went limp, but didn't black out. They started arguing over who could… Well the leader killed one and he fell on me. I tried to get the sword from the one that fell on me, but the leader pulled him off and pinned my arm." Mika stopped and took a long breath, "Then he started to choke me, and it all went fuzzy. All of a sudden there was, an energy building up in my arm, and I swung at the man. When I got up the others surrounded me, but I wasn't really there. I just reacted, and I don't even know how I did it. And then I saw you, and then I was here." Mika finished with an uneasy feeling welling up inside.

Sango looked at Kagome and then back at Mika, "So you don't remember anything before that?"

"No, but I have this feeling that something is missing, something important. Something that's torn at my heart, but I can't remember!"

"Now, now it's okay Mika. You get some rest and your memory will come back soon," Kagome said in a kind and motherly tone. Mika looked at Kagome almost on the verge of tears and then nodded her head. After drinking some tea that Lady Kaede offered, Mika laid down and fell fast asleep. The three women went out to the others.

"So what do you think Kagome is this your cousin?" asked Miroku.

"Yes, I'm sure. I hope Inuyasha will bring her bag back and see if any of the contents will spark anything."

"Well then it seems she was defending herself, but I wonder how she killed those men. Sango you said it looked like the poison claws that Sesshomaru uses right?"

"I'm quite sure, but how could a human from Kagome's world know that. Kagome what do you know about your cousin?"

"Not much, just that she just lost her parents."

"And Inuyasha was sure she has the same scent as by the rift in your world?"

"Yes, he was positive it was the same. He seemed to take delight in reminding me how good his sense of smell is" Kagome answered with a sigh

"That Inuyasha can be so petty some times," added Shippo.

Kaede looked at Kagome and asked, "What ye make of the tattooed words, 'wolf, human, dog, and demon' that appear on her shoulder?"

Kagome seemed a little startled. "I'm not sure. I really don't know much about my cousin except she comes from America and I've never met her."

"We'll just have to wait and see what Inuyasha can find from your mother, Kagome," Miroku replied, as they all looked off to the well.

Present Era…

"Oh, you've found her, how wonderful!" Midori squealed with relieved joy. "Is she ok? What happened? How did she get back there?"

"My other darling granddaughter is in the feudal era! Are you sure it's her and that she was ok?"

"Hey Inuyasha does Kagome know?" asked Sota.

Inuyasha took a step back from the onslaught of questions. "Well I uh, yes Kagome knows, and yes I'm sure it was her. It was the same scent as by the rift in the road. And she was hurt but Kaede was tending to her, she seemed to think the girl would be fine. I do have a few questions though. Like why does Mika look so different from any of you, as in the fair complexion, red hair and blue eyes? And why does she smell like a wolf?"

Midori looked at her father, as grandpa replied, "Well, her appearance is because she was adopted. We found the child in the hidden well outside. My second daughter, Ayame couldn't have children so the little baby girl crying in the well seemed to be a God send. We said she'd a home birth and that was that. She was ours. As to the scent of wolf, we're not sure."

"That's strange. Didn't you wonder how she got in the well?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, we all wondered, and also the child had a strange tattoo on her body. It said 'human, wolf, dog, and demon.' She also had a small charm of a wolf and crescent moon with her name on it. We all wondered, but Ayame was so happy we couldn't take the baby away," said Midori with a twinge of guilt in her voice.

"Well that sure explains it, and the other scent I kept getting could have been dog. It seems to me what happened was someone from my world threw the child into the well to get rid of it, and your daughter took her as her own." Inuyasha thought, "I need to get back. With this new information we'll be more likely to figure out what happened to her parents, as well as figure out how she got in the Feudal Era in the first place." He turned toward the door as he said, "I'll try to get word to you as soon as I can." With that Inuyasha reached for the door to leave.

"Wait Inuyasha, would you mind taking Mika's clothes to her. I imagine she may want them after what she's been through, with the earth quake, and if it's not her then Kagome can bring them back," asked Midori in her normal cheerful tone.

"Yes and give Mika our love," added grandpa, with Sota nodding his approval.

"I will, and don't you worry Kagome and I will keep Mika safe!" Inuyasha left the three reassured and calm, but as he made his way back one thought ran through his mind, "How could she have the scent of a dog? I was father's last child and Sesshomaru would never even associate with a half demon, much less enough to father a child. I'm positive that I'm not the father either. So how could she have that scent? Could there be another dog demon? I need to find Myoga!"

Feudal Era…

"Inuyasha," sounded Kagome's voice, "What did mom say?" Inuyasha landed and revealed to the group what her mother said. "Oh and she also gave me this to give to Mika. It's the bag of clothes your cousin had."

"That's good. The clothes she had on had been terribly torn, and will not due to run around in," stated Kaede. "For now we shall let her sleep and hopefully she will feel better in the morning."

As the others went inside Inuyasha stopped Kagome, "Kagome, there is one more thing the other smell I was getting, I think it was dog demon, but I don't see how that could be. I was the last child of my father and Sesshomaru would rather kill a half demon then have a child with one, and I know that I'm not the father either. So I'm not sure how she could have that smell."

"Now that you mention it, I was wondering about the tattoo on her shoulder and the meaning behind it. Inuyasha do you think either Totosai, or Myoga would know?" Kagome inquired.

"I'm not sure, but I was thinking of going to find them and see what they have to say about this anyway. But let's get some rest and I'll go once we're sure she's okay."

With that they went quietly inside to sleep, while unaware to the duo a lone Saimyosho buzzing close by. It waited until they had all gone in and then flew off to inform Naraku and Hakudoushi. The Saimyosho approached the secret lair, it past through Naraku's barrier, and landed on Hakudoushi's hand. "Well, well it seems a strange girl has stumbled across our little group of heroes. It seems that rift you were trying to open to Kagome's world worked, it just pulled someone else back instead of letting us go through. And it seems the girl is Kagome's cousin. With luck this girl could prove to be very useful."

"Well then Hakudoushi what do you think we should do? The poor girl must be so confused, and I bet she could be fairly easy to manipulate."

"Yes, I suspect it would upset Kagome to no end for us to use her poor cousin."

"Well then we shall have to do something special for this new girl." With that the pair started to laugh with pure malice in there voices.


	6. The Bath

**The Bath**

Early the second morning of Mika's arrival in Feudal Era Japan, Mika awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and the clean smell of trees and earth with a hint of wood smoke. The sounds and smells were familiar and yet foreign to her at the same time. She recognized the individual elements as birds in the trees or the trees moving in the breeze, but since her arrival in this era, her senses had become enhanced. Mika had realized early in her life that some of her senses were acute, such as smell and sound. She vaguely remembers her father commending her about how she could hear the animals that they were hunting before he could even see them. As Mika lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, she briefly recalled the fights with the bandits and her encounter with her cousin. She stretched her aching back as she vaguely recalled waking briefly a couple of times the day before as the elderly priestess and the warrior helped change the bandages on her shoulders and thigh.

"I reek," Mika thought as she became acutely aware of the smell of her own dried blood on the bandages that covered a majority of the wounds on her shoulders, as well as the blood and dirt in her hair.

With a bath in mind, Mika opened her eyes; she looked around the hut at the various lying forms about her. The closest was the young warrior, Sango, and her two-tail cat Kirara. Near Mika's feet lay the priestess Lady Kaede, her cousin Kagome and the young boy Shippo. As far toward the wall, away from Mika as possible lay the form of what she perceived to be a monk. "That must be Miroku," she thought as she continued getting her bearings of the hut. When her eyes laid upon her duffle bag a spark of recognition appeared in them. Pulling her blanket about her body, Mika rose silently from her sleeping mat and moved toward the bag. As she carefully moved toward the door, she held her breath, not wanting to awaken any of the people who lay sleeping before her, especially the monk. With the events of the previous day still fresh in her mind; her fear of men made her heart beat faster as she neared him. Grabbing the duffle bag and silently exiting the hut, Mika was finally able to breathe again. Carefully, without revealing her near naked body to the rest of the village, she was able to adjust the blanket, similar to toga fashion to where she was covered. She grabbed the handles of her duffle bag and tossed it over her shoulder.

As she moved toward the smell of water, a male voice from above asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

Startled, Mika dropped the duffle bag in fear as the realization that another male was nearby. "Who's there?" she asked in a fright-filled voice as she began to back away from her duffle bag. With the breeze blowing toward her, she was barely able to pick up the scent of a dog nearby.

Inuyasha landed near her duffle bag. His silvery hair flew out behind him in the mild breeze. Mika was mesmerized by his sudden appearance and her eyes focused on his dog like ears. "I asked where you think you're going?" he said again.

"You're Inuyasha?" Mika asked, a little less fright filled, taking in his scent deeply, identifying it as that of the dog demon she smelled previously.

He shook his head and replied, "Well, duh, and you're Mika. Kagome's cousin."

Mika suddenly realized he stood between her and her duffle bag. Without realizing it, Inuyasha had moved closer to Mika, triggering her fight or flight response, due to her vivid memories of the assault from the day before. As he was about to lay a gentle hand on her arm, to lead her back to the hut, Mika moved with the speed of lightning to avoid contact. As he grabbed thin air, Mika had balled up her fists in a defensive boxing move and started jabbing at his midsection in rapid succession.

"Hey! Cut it out! Mika, I'm a friend. Stop hitting me," was all Inuyasha could say as he blocked the moves as best he could without hitting her. He didn't want to hurt the girl and yet his patience was beginning to wane. Suddenly, Mika got around his defenses and a solid blow to his solar plexus knocked the wind out of him which was immediately followed by an upper cut to the jaw that dropped him like a rock. With Inuyasha sprawled out on the ground, Mika ran toward her duffle bag. Without slowing down, she grabbed the bag and raced toward the river that she could still smell in the distance.

As she ran, the fight or flight response in her subsided as she realized that he had not moved toward her like the men from the day before, nor had she felt that she was in imminent danger. When she neared what appeared to be a wide alcove of the river, Mika finally quit running. Her legs trembled with the exertion and felt as if they would no longer support her weight. She moved toward what appeared to be a lagoon below a looming waterfall. Mika breathed in the smell of the clean water and was delighted in the spectacular sight of the waterfall and the rainbow reflection of the sun on the misty air. As Mika removed a clean set of clothes from the duffle bag, she reflected on her journey thus far, but racked her brain as to why she had been brought here. As she dug into the bag for some soap and shampoo to wash the dried mud and blood from her hair, her hand brushed against the pendant of the howling wolf.

As she held it in the palm of her hand, a brief vision came from deep within her memory. Although it was shrouded in mist, Mika clearly saw the blue eyes of a male figure with pointy ears, and long dark hair. She heard the words as clear as day, "Stay safe, little Mika. Your mother and I love you very much and feel that this is the best for your safety." As quickly as it came, the vision was replaced with fleeting images of Ayame and Jason as she recalled her recently deceased parents. As the memories of Mika's past flowed through her mind like a raging river, the voice of Ayame were clearly audible, "Instead of looking for your biological parents, we had claimed you as our own flesh and blood. Looking back now it seemed a bit selfish on our part, but we considered you to be our own flesh and blood." Tears flowed down her cheeks as her memories dwelt on the accident which claimed her parents' lives. Mika wiped the tears from her face as she remembered her reason for being in Japan. Once Mika regained her composure, she laid the wolf pendant next to her duffle bag, determined to find the answers to why she was abandoned at birth, who was the man in her vision and why she'd been dragged into this mysterious place.

Once Mika was ready for her bath, she removed the blanket from her body and slipped into the cool refreshing water. She swam out a bit into the middle and sunk into the clear depths, allowing the water to cover her completely. Finally able to relax in the protective waters she let her mind drift to the events of the past few days. When she surfaced a sound from the shore drew her attention. Mika looked and saw Kagome and Sango on the shore, waving toward her.

Mika swam back to shore, still staying submerged in the protective cover of the river. "How did you know where to find me?"

Kagome replied, "We heard the fight and ran out to where you two had the scuffle. Inuyasha was knocked out for a couple of minutes, but we saw you running this direction. I figured you had wanted a bath and we followed."

"I'm rather surprised you knocked him out. What happened?" Sango asked.

Mika grabbed the soap from a nearby rock, as she recalled. "My run in with the bandits has really got my nerves on end in regards to men. He was coming toward me and I immediately went on the defensive. I don't recall what triggered it, but as I ran here I realized he was not trying to hurt me, like the others did. I really should apologize to him."

"I can see that more from Miroku than Inuyasha. He was not happy to say the least, but you'll have to wait until later to apologize. He had an errand that he left for after he came too. I figure he won't be back until later this evening." Sango said.

Mika continued to bath as Kagome and Sango kept vigil. She washed her hair to get it clean and free of all the debris that had collected in it for the past few days. As the shampoo cleansed her hair, the brown, dirty exterior washed away leaving the strawberry blond in its wake. Sango and Kagome were shocked at the color. Mika looked at the two as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just you have such wonderful hair. I've never seen such a color before," Sango said in awe.

Kagome said, "We have, Sango, just not this particular shade. Remember Ayame of the Wolf demon tribe? Her hair was really red."

"Now that you mention it, I do recall Ayame. She was so enthralled with Koga then. I wonder if she still has feelings for him." Sango recalled.

"My guess is she does. Now I just wish Koga would return them. It would help a lot with Inuyasha." Kagome replied with a slightly sullen expression.

"Who is this Koga person?" asked Mika, as she continued to bathe, removing the soiled bandages from her shoulders and thigh.

Kagome blushed, as Sango giggled and replied, "He's the young leader of the wolf demon tribe, and fancies himself Kagome's fiancé. He and Inuyasha fight every time he comes around. Even though he won't admit it to us, Miroku and I both think Inuyasha is in love with Kagome too." At that a sad look seemed to wash over Kagome's face. Mika had been watching the two and her heart instantly went to Kagome.

She could sense there was more to it then Sango surmised. "He sounds nice. Do you think he'll be coming around?"

"Oh I'm sure well see him soon. Once he gets a whiff of Kagome's scent, he makes a beeline straight for her," Sango commented between giggles, causing Kagome to blush even brighter. Kagome and Sango glanced at Mika, as she emerged from the water, moving into the shallows to dry off. To both women's amazement, all the deep sword wounds had al but vanished. They resembled mere cat scratches without any scaring.

Mika again noticed their stares as she carefully toweled off the water from her body and hair. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong? Having just met you both, the staring is beginning to freak me out. Would you please tell me what's wrong?" Mika pleaded.

"You're wounds are healed! They were really deep. To the bone, really, and yet there are barely any marks left of the incident!" Sango gasped. Mika looked over the rest of her body and noticed that although it felt bruised, the physical evidence of the bruises were fading fast. The worst being the hideous yellow marks left around her throat were the only remaining evidence of the attack.

Mika had just finished towel drying her agile body and was turning back to look at the two girl when she saw something moving in the bushes nearby. Realizing she was still naked, Mika screamed and pointed at the bushes. "There's something in those bushes over there!" Just as Mika was about to go on the defense Kirara jumped out of the bushes holding a blushing and some what frightened Miroku.

"Sorry about that. I was just making sure everyone was doing ok!" he said, as Kirara moved closer to the group.

"You letch, you were doing no such thing! You were peeping on poor Mika, and you know it!" yelled Sango with murderous fury. Kirara had put Miroku down and quickly moved to Kagome's side.

As Sango proceed to pummel Miroku, Mika asked Kagome, "Wow, she can get really scary! Are those two married or something? She also called him letch, should I be concerned?" As she coved her nakedness with the towel she had used to dry off with.

"Oh, no, he's really not that bad. No, they're not married, yet. Miroku asked Sango to marry him, but there are some things they need to deal with first!"

"Well, could you make him leave so I can get dressed? While the bath was nice I'd really like to get into some clean clothes." Before Kagome could respond, Sango pulled Miroku away by the ear scolding him the whole way. Kirara mewed and nosed the wolf charm near Mika's duffle bag.

"Oh please don't do that, Kirara! It's all I have to tie me to my parents!" Mika cried out, trying not to be too harsh. After all it was just a cat, even if it's a shape shifting cat. "Here you can play with this though." Mika took out a scrunchie she normally used to wrap her hair in and tossed it to Kirara. Kirara's ears perked up and she acted like any other cat swatting at it and growling at the scrunchie. The sight was so normal Mika lightened a little and giggled behind her hand.

"Well now, that's better. You've been so tense since you got here. You look much prettier when you smile!" Kagome said with a smile. Mika smiled back thinking, "If this really is my cousin, then I'm glad. She has a good heart, and such a nice smell. I wonder what she uses on her hair." Mika was starting to feel much attached to Kagome, despite their fairly recent introduction. "Kagome, how did you get here?"

Kagome thought about her answer for a moment, trying to determine whether to trust her cousin or not. Finally she replied, "The well that you were found at the shrine is how I get here. I guess the well acts like a gateway between Modern day and the Feudal Era. Without the use of the well, you were brought to the Feudal Era from the steps that lead to the shrine in Modern Day. Inuyasha has his suspicions as to what happened to cause this, but I'm not sure if you'd understand what happened."

Mika thought a few moments as she digested the information that Kagome had just given her. "You're expecting me to believe that I'm in Feudal Era Japan after what I've been through and then be afraid that I wouldn't understand how I got here? I thought that you'd think a little higher of me than this. I'm not like your junior high friends. After what happened to me, I'd have believed you if you said the sky were purple. I'd just like to know what happened, if you don't mind. Let me be the judge of whether I'll understand or not." With her emotions a bit of a roller coaster, seeing her cousin even doubting her, Mika thought, "What is it with my family and secrecy? Why does everyone feel the need to protect me?"

After contemplating her answer, Kagome replied, "Okay, I can see your point, Mika. Just stop me if you don't understand something and I'll try to clarify it. There's a demon called Naraku who has done some horrific things during this time. Inuyasha said that when he searched for you after the earthquake he'd caught trace amounts of Naraku's scent. Apparently he's trying to get to the Modern Era to cause some problems."

"So basically, this demon is how I got here? Why? What does bringing me here accomplish?" Mika replied.

Kagome looked at her cousin in Amazement. "You caught on pretty fast. I guess I underestimated you, Mika. I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being this open with people from the Modern Era, other than Mom, Gramps and Sota."

"It's understandable. If it hadn't been for my unexpected visit and run in with those men, I probably wouldn't have believed you. So, do you think we can get back to the Modern Era through this well?"

"Well I'm not sure. Only Inuyasha and I have been able to go back and forth. We could try, but let's wait till Inuyasha gets back. He always throws a fit if I leave with out talking to him first."

"Really, is he that jealous or some thing?" Mika asked as she quickly dressed in clothes from her time, such as panties, racer-back sports bra, blue jeans and a loose light colored tee shirt. She quickly brushed out her unruly curly locks of strawberry-blond hair and pulled it into a high pony tail with a black hair band. Once she had completed getting dressed, she placed the pendant around her neck, but kept it hidden under her shirt as to keep it near her heart. She certainly felt more at ease in the jeans and tee shirt, than the business attire from her first day there and the most recent blanket of that morning.

"What can I say? Inuyasha is possessive, although he can be really sweet. Don't let his aggressive nature fool you, he acts tough but he can be a real puppy dog at times. But that's not to say he does have his moments when he's a total jerk," Kagome responded after a little thought.

Mika smiled and felt this was a great time to see how her cousin was about being teased. "Sounds like the two of you are an item as well. So Kagome has he been as out spoken about his affections as Koga?"

Completely blushing Kagome stuttered, "Uh… well it's not that simple between us either." Kagome paused for a second and with a heavy heart continued. "He's still kind of involved with this other girl, Kikyo. I guess you could say she's his old girlfriend." "More like his old, DEAD girlfriend," Kagome thought. Mika's heart felt for Kagome, she herself had never felt that way about anyone but her family. Since her interests were similar in nature to men, they viewed her more of a little sister or hunting buddy, instead of a girlfriend. Not only that, she liked being alone, a sort of lone wolf so to speak, depending on herself, her abilities, and vast knowledge of the great outdoors.

Mika quickly changed the subject, "Ok, well if we can't go home can you at least show me around? I would really like to check out the village, now that I have some company!"

"Sure, but do you think you feel up to it?" Kagome asked with concern in her voice.

"Oh, yes, I feel much better! After the bath and a change of clothes, I'm rearing to go! This fresh air does wonders for my energy!" Mika replied enthusiastically.

"Ok, but first we should get something to eat!" With those words both Kagome and Mika's stomachs voiced their opinions. Both girls laughed and Kagome helped Mika gather her things and head back to Kaede's hut.


	7. The Search for Answers

**The Search for Answers**

Volcanic plain…

As Mika bathed, Inuyasha muttered to himself under his breath about being the nice guy who gets the stuffing beat out of him, by a girl no less, and not even Kagome's 'sit' command. He quickly moved toward Totosai's humble abode in search of Myoga as he thought of what Kagome's mother had said. When Midori had told him of the circumstances of Mika's arrival to the shrine, he figured that the duo of Myoga and Totosai had something to do with this incident, especially considering the same fate having fallen upon Sounga, his late father's sword of hell. Within a couple of hours, he arrived on the volcanic plain and barged into the hut. "Where's Myoga, Totosai?" Inuyasha demanded as he began to pat down the old sword smith.

Totosai looked at Inuyasha, "Nice to see you too, you ungrateful mutt. I haven't seen him for a while. It's not like I'm his keeper after all."

Inuyasha stood back from the elderly sword smith as he realized that Totosai was speaking the truth. "What do you know of a human baby smelling of wolf being left in the Bone-Eaters Well, Totosai?" Inuyasha asked.

Totosai put down the sword he was working on and scratched his head. "I don't recall having heard about that. Is the child ok?" he said as he thought, "I hope that he's not asking about Sesshomaru's child."

"Seeing as the child is now quite a bit older and wanting to know about her parents, I thought you would know about it, seeing as that's how you, Myoga and Saya took care of So'unga in a similar fashion," Inuyasha replied.

Totosai scratched his head again and said, "I recall a young male wolf demon had dropped off a child a while back that needed protection, but I don't remember what happened to the child. It was a really long time ago."

Unnoticed by both Totosai and Inuyasha, Myoga hopped into the cave. "That was close," he thought, as he tried to catch his breath. He had just barely escaped the unwanted affection of his paramour, Shoga. Myoga noticed Inuyasha's scent as he peered into the cave. "Ah, Master Inuyasha is here. I wonder what he's up to." Myoga moved closer to the dog demon as he listened to the conversation between him and Totosai.

At this bit of information, Inuyasha's ears pricked up and he pressed Totosai for more information about the wolf demon. "He's about your age and I remember that he had blue eyes. The only other thing I can remember is creating a pendant for the child at the request of the young demon, a wolf howling with a crescent moon to be precise. My best piece of work on such short notice if I do say so," he gloated, as he wiped a tear from his eyes at the memory of the pendant. "He never saw it finished, though. He'd left in a great hurry. I never did catch his name." Inuyasha felt the blood boil in his veins. He flexed his claws as only one name came to mind with the same wolf scent as Mika, Koga.

"What the hell was he thinking, leaving an infant to the likes of Myoga and Totosai?! What kind of father is he to have abandoned his own flesh and blood like that? I've got a lot of choice words to say to him when I see him next time!!" Inuyasha thought as he frankly thanked Totosai for the information and left the cave, too deep in his own furiousness of what he thought Koga had done, to notice the flea.

After Inuyasha left the cave in a hurry, Myoga leapt onto Totosai. "I see that the young master was asking about the infant Koga left us a while back. What did he want to know?" Myoga asked. Totosai filled in the flea as best he could remember, seeing as the old sword smith's memory was not that great, even though the event between him and Inuyasha had just happened.

As Totosai concluded with what Myoga had overheard, Myoga said, "I'm afraid we may not be able to keep this from Lord Sesshomaru for much longer. If the child has been found and some how has returned to this time, as did Sounga, then she's in very grave danger. And now it's all our faults. We should have placed her with a family on the continent, instead of that damn well. That way, Lord Sesshomaru would not have known about the child and we would be less likely to be the next victims on his list. I would say this situation is worse than when you left him Tenseiga, Totosai."

"I believe you're right, Myoga. Now with the proverbial cat is out of the bag, what can we do to prevent him from killing her?" Totosai asked.

Myoga looked around the cave at the numerous swords, armor and shields. "I believe that we need to supply the child with a way to defend and protect herself, something that will withstand an assault from his poison claws and whip and repel the attack of the Dragon Strike."

As Totosai scratched his head, thinking about what Myoga said, he also looked around the room and came to the conclusion that to make the required equipment that he needed to collect some supplies. He moved to his three-eyed bull and leapt on to his back. As he moved over the country side, he tried desperately to figure out how to get the most important raw materials, necessary for the blade to protect the young demon, a fang from either Sesshomaru or Koga. He continued his search, as Inuyasha searched the surrounding area for Koga.

The forest outside the Mountain Wolf Demon Strong Hold…

"Hey Koga wait up! Man, why can't he ever wait for us?" whined Ginta to his equally panting and exhausted companion.

"Really, he could at least show some consideration and give us a break!" added Hakkaku. As if their prayers were answered Koga stopped short. As Ginta and Hakkaku pulled abreast of Koga, one asked, "Hey Koga, why did you stop?"

"I smell that dumb mutt, and he seems to be coming right towards us. Wonder what mutt-face wants." No sooner had the words died on his lips Inuyasha jumped from the trees and landed right in front of the trio.

"Hey, you scrawny wolf, I got a bone to pick with you!" he yelled, blocking the roadway effectively with his body.

Flexing his claws Koga, replied, "You want to fight huh, mutt-face? Well I'll be happy to oblige!"

"Ha, not this time you scrawny wolf, I got a question. A girl showed up near Kaede's village last night. It was Kagome's cousin from the other world."

"And that means what to me?" Koga retorted as he secretly thought of his own harem composed of Kagome and her as yet unseen cousin scantily clad and dancing. A depraved smile crossed his face, enraging Inuyasha even more.

"If you'd shut up and wipe that smile off your face, then I could tell you! The girl's blood reeked of demon, both wolf and dog. And when I asked Totosai about it he said a wolf gave him a baby. And that he and Myoga put the baby into the Bone-Eater's Well! Luckily for the child, she was found by Kagome's family and they adopted her. Who knows what could have happened to her!"

"What? Those two morons put my niece into that old well! Oh, I never should have taken her to them, but Akane asked me to right before she died!" Koga thought with a shocked and horrified look that quickly replaced the smirk on his face.

"From the look on your face, then it was you who gave the child to them. So it's true, you're the father?" Inuyasha demanded arrogantly.

Koga barked, "What the hell do you mean? Her father…?! Of course I'm not her father! What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Inuyasha, taken aback by Koga's statement, as a look of confusion quickly spread across his face, replied, "Then if you're not the father, who is? And what person in their right mind would give you a baby?"

Having backed a substantial distance from Koga and Inuyasha, Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other as the verbal war continued. Ginta asked, "Do you think they are talking of Akane's child?"

"I don't know, but we should stand clear of them till they get this worked out. It could easily come to blows with those two idiots fighting," Hakkaku replied.

Koga looked away from Inuyasha, thought over his answer. "The mother of the child asked me to take her to them for protection. Where is she? I want to see her," was all that Koga could say his demeanor changed for anger to a somber contemplation within seconds.

"Well, that doesn't answer my question you scrawny wolf. If you answer it, I'll consider taking you to her," Inuyasha retorted, feeling as if by knowing where Mika was he held the upper hand to the wolf.

Koga snapped back, "Yeah right, like I need you mutt. Not only do I have Kagome's scent to go off of, but now you've given me the exact scents to find the girl!" He turned to Ginta and Hakkaku, "I'll be going on ahead, try and keep up."

"Wait! Where do you think you're going you scrawny wolf? I'm not done with you yet!" Inuyasha yelled as he tried to grab Koga's shoulder to prevent him from escaping his inquiry. In irritation for being held up in his journey to Mika, Koga jumped up, knocked Inuyasha to the ground, and with a puff of dust, he was gone.

Ginta and Hakkaku, looking after their fast moving leader, started to take off in his general direction, when Inuyasha barks, "Where do you two think you're going?"

They both stopped dead in their tracks as a cringe crossed their faces. "We were just following Koga. So if you don't mind we will be going," Ginta replied, trying to sound as flippant as Koga toward Inuyasha.

"Is that so? Well, I have some questions before you can go," he said, with a smile full of malice.

"We're not telling you anything, you stupid Mutt!!" Hakkaku yelled. As the words died on his lips, Inuyasha delivered a stout blow to both their heads.

"Now that I have your attention, are you going to talk, or do we do this the hard way?" Inuyasha asked as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation of the answer.

"What do you want to know?" the two replied in fear of the hard way, each holding the other for dear life and strength. Each were acutely aware of the reaction Koga would have at them answering Inuyasha's questions about his family, but they feared Inuyasha more since Koga was now gone.

Forest of Inuyasha…

As Koga raced toward Kaede's village, the wind in his face carrying both Kagome's and Mika's scent toward him, he thought, "I have to get to her before Sesshomaru. She's in grave danger." As the thoughts of what Sesshomaru would do to Mika, Koga kicked his running into a higher gear, creating a whirlwind that ate up the ground as fast as he could to get to his niece.

On a hill covered in wild flowers…

"Lord Sesshomaru, were are you!" Jaken was already starting to panic even though Sesshomaru had only been gone for a few hours. "Oh why does he always do this? He always goes off and leaves me behind!"

"Don't worry Master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru will be back, he's just trying to find something that can lead him to Naraku! Now what do you think of this Master Jaken?" Rin smiled as she held up a crown of daisies.

Jaken sighed and looked back not answering her question. "This girl is so happy! It gets annoying after a while."

Campsite of the dead bandits…

Sesshomaru walked toward the clearing where he had heard the sound of the strange animal. It had been last evening and the odds were the creature was gone, but Sesshomaru had an uneasy feeling that whatever it was he needed to find it. "This is strange for I keep crossing the smell of a half dog demon, but it's similar to Inuyasha and yet it's different. What's more the smell appeared in the same area where I heard the unearthly howl. Could it be that there is another dog demon somewhere? Or is this a setup by Naraku? Could this be the link that I've been searching for Naraku?"

Sesshomaru's face grew sterner as he continued through the clearing, stepping over the dead bodies of the bandits. He stopped long enough to investigate the two men with holes in their guts. "Who or what could have done this? I smell only the dog demon and yet I can clearly see that a sword was used to kill the other three men. This makes no sense." Sesshomaru continued to follow the scent of the dried blood as it lead toward the village, deep in thought and his own self importance.


	8. More Questions than Answers

**More Questions than Answers**

Kaede's village…

As Mika and Kagome approached Kaede's hut, the smell of cooked food assailed their noses. With her keener sense of smell, Mika was able to discern the smell of rice and omelet rolls. Her stomach growled in anticipation as she realized she'd not eaten anything since her Trans-Atlantic flight two days earlier.

"I hope the food is as good as it smells," Mika said as they reached the door.

Kagome replied, "It's pretty good. Almost as good as my mother's cooking, considering the rudimentary means of which they can cook." Kagome led the way back into the hut, seeing Sango, Miroku and Shippo already seated in front of their meals. Mika set her bag next to the door and took a seat near Shippo. Kagome also took a seat as Kaede handed the young women each a plate of food and a pair of chopsticks. Once thanks had been given, Kagome dug into her plate hungrily, while Mika looked at the chopsticks in her hand.

After a few minutes of staring between the plate of food and the chopsticks, Miroku spoke up, "Is there a problem with the food? Is it not to your liking?"

Shaking her head, Mika replied, "No, the food looks delicious. I'm not used to using chopsticks." Turning to Kagome she inquired, a hint of near panic in her voice, "So they know about forks? Or even a spoon?"

A shocked look crossed Kagome's face as she realized the extent of Mika's questioning, "You've got to be kidding me! You've never used chopsticks, with Aunt Ayame's cooking?!" Mika nodded her head, as her eyes slid to the floor in disgrace.

"Every once in a while when we'd go to the Nugget in Reno when we'd eat at Trader Dick's. We'd order the sampler platter with sushi, rumaki and ribs, other then that, I've always used a knife, spoon or fork. I mean no offense, Lady Kaede."

The elderly priestess handed the young woman a spoon as she replied, "No offense taken, ye child. Our customs are foreign to ye. I imagine that your ways are just as foreign to us. However, I would ask, ye child, to work on your chopstick skills, for others may not be as understanding."

Mika thanked the elderly priestess as she shoveled the food into her mouth as quickly as she could. The others marveled at the speed with which the food disappeared from the plate, similar in nature to both Shippo and Inuyasha. "If only this was a plate of bacon, pancakes, or French toast, this would have been perfect," she thought as she gulped the last morsels down. The remainder of the meal remained silent as they remained deep in thought as to how Kagome's cousin had entered their era without the benefit of the Bone Eater's well.

After the meal of rice and omelet rolls, Kagome showed Mika around the village. As she pointed out different things, such as Kikyo's shrine, the river, rice fields, etc. Mika realized the scope of the village and how it was similar to her home on the outskirts of Jerome. "As you can see, everyone here helps everyone else out. It is a very close knit community," Kagome said.

"I'm glad you like it here. I prefer it here more then modern day Tokyo. A lot less crowded," Mika replied. She noticed Kagome's quiver and bow leaning on the wall of Kaede's hut near her duffle bag. "Do you mind if I do some target practice?" Mika asked as they neared the hut.

Kagome looked at the bow and arrows, a little possessive of them, and then thought, "What could it hurt? I'm sure she's not that good, and the arrows would probably just end up on the ground." Kagome handed Mika the bow and quiver as she said, "Sure, Mika, you can use them. It will help pass the time until Inuyasha comes back."

Mika slung the quiver across her back, with the arrows over her right shoulder. As she moved near a target leaning on a tree, she took a solid stance. She pulled the arrow from the quiver, notched it and pulled the arrow to her cheek in one fluid motion. Within seconds, as she focused on the target, Mika released the arrow. A solid "thwack" resulted in the arrow hitting the bull's eye a good three inches into the wooden target. Kagome's mouth dropped as the second and third arrow hit the target, creating a small cluster of arrows in the very center of the target.

Regaining her composure, Kagome approached her cousin and asked, "Where did you learn to shoot like that, Mika?"

Mika looked at her cousin with a smile. "I've been bow hunting with my father for about three years now. I've learned how to shoot like this since I was a freshman in high school. Trust me, there's not much to do in Idaho when you're a teenager. I turned to outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and working on a ranch during the summers as a wrangler. How's your shooting?"

Kagome shook her head, as she replied, "I'm a novice compared to you. Could you show me some pointers?"

"I'd be happy to, seeing as we're not sure when Inuyasha will be back."

After a few pointers and scavenging a second bow and quiver of arrows, Kagome began hitting the bull's eye on a more regular basis. As they practiced Kagome looked at her cousin. "When we asked you some questions two days ago, other than your name, you couldn't remember who you were. Now it seems your memory has returned. Do you remember what brought you to Japan in the first place?"

As she notched another arrow, Mika replied sullenly, "My parents died in an auto accident over two weeks ago by a drunk driver. On my mother's death bed she revealed that I was doing in the hidden well. Instead of looking for my biological parents, they kept me as their own. I came to Japan to see if I could find my real parents, but also to be closer to what family I have left."

Kagome listened to her cousin as she recalled what Inuyasha had told her and the others of Mika being found in the well as an infant. "So what kind of ideas do you have for searching for your parents?"

"I've not much to go on, just my wolf pendant and the tattoo on my shoulder. Mom said that this tattoo has been on my shoulder since they found me and that it never stretched or faded as I grew. Almost as if by magic," Mika recalled, putting a few more arrows in the target.

Kagome turned toward Mika as she said, "Lady Kaede saw the tattoo when she and Sango were dressing your wounds. She said the words 'wolf, dog, human and demon' were on your shoulder. What could they mean?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that I had the tattoo when I was found, as well as my pendant. It was a coincidence that the day I was found the previous night was a new crescent moon. Mom had also kept the blankets I'd been wrapped in, a wolf hide actually of a soft grey color," Mika recalled.

A puzzled look crossed Kagome's face as Mika spoke. "You said a wolf hide blanket? Is it possible that with your pendant and tattoo combined with the blanket that part of your heritage is wolf demon?"

Mika looked at her cousin as a confused look crossed her face. "Wolf demon? You're kidding me, right? I'm as human as you are, Kagome. I think this place has affected your perception on reality."

"I'm not so sure it's that far fetched, Mika. When Inuyasha searched for you at the cavern in our time, he picked up the wolf scent, and he caught it again when he first met you. His nose is pretty sensitive, seeing as he's half dog demon," Kagome pointed out. "Not only that, those sounds you got from the sword fight healed in record time and I've only seen that kind of healing from Inuyasha. So it's possible that you have some demon blood in your back ground."

Continuing with target practice, Mika thought about what Kagome had said and thought about some of the things that she herself had noticed. "Is it possible that what Kagome had said is true? Could I be this wolf demon she mentioned? No way, and yet I'm not going to rule it out. Everything about my parents is still a mystery." With both girls engrossed in target practice, neither noticed Koga's arrival.

As he stood near a group of trees, watching Mika and Kagome, he immediately recognized his niece. Despite the modern clothing, he saw his sister in the long red hair and blue eyes. Her scent was as clear to him as the day she was born. A tear came to his eyes as he recalled his long dead sister. "You would have been proud, Akane. She is your spitting image. If it were not for her father and the imminent threat to her life, I would have raised her as my own, you know. I would have protected her with all my heart, breath and strength. Why did you have to die, to have me take her to those two idiots who put her in worse danger than I ever would have?" he thought. He continued to observe the girl, thankful that the binding spell he'd requested, on Akane's behalf, was still in effect. At last, the girls moved away from the target, which now closely resembled a porcupine with all the arrows that filled its perimeter.

Koga stepped out from the trees, as he cleared his throat to gain their attention. Kagome and Mika stopped in mid-stride with a start. "Oh, Koga, we didn't see you. How've you been?" Kagome said.

As he took Kagome's hand he said, "I've been missing you, Kagome. I came to see how you were since I was in the area." He looked deeply into Kagome's eyes, causing her to blush as he continued his silent vigil on Mika.

"Koga, you are so thoughtful. I'd like for you to meet my cousin…" Kagome started, but the rest of the sentence died on the wind as Koga took Mika's hand, breathing in her scent deeply, memorizing the uniqueness of her person.

"I'm Koga, leader of the wolf demon tribe. It is a pleasure meeting you…." Before he was able to get her name, Mika pulled away from him suddenly. She looked not at Koga, but through him to the striking figure which had entered the far side of the clearing. To Mika the tall, white haired man in a white haori covered with fur on one side, resembled a God or at least a wealthy war lord. As the white haired man strode toward them, Mika sensed malice from the stranger, unlike the wolf demon before her. As the wind blew into her face from the demons before her, she smelled their full demon blood. When the smells combined she realized that they smelled similar to her own scent. As the realization of the implications of this mixture sunk in, Kagome's thoughts of the possible wolf demon parentage weren't so far fetched. Suddenly her mind was a jumble of emotions and the urge to flee the demons became over powering.

Koga saw the look of distress cross her face shortly after she withdrew from his grasp. He turned and saw Sesshomaru enter the clearing. Sensing the danger, Koga's hackles raised as he positioned himself between Mika and the advancing demon. Koga tensed as the impending battle was about to ensue. He noticed the breeze was in their favor since both he and Mika were downwind and Sesshomaru did not appear to have seen the girl.

Kagome moved toward Koga as she said, "I wonder what he wants. It's unlike him to venture this close to the village."

"I'm not sure either," Koga replied, lying because he didn't want to draw attention to the quacking girl behind them.

The two continued their quiet vigil as Sesshomaru moved unhurried toward them. A flash of red appeared as if out of thin air and landed between the group and Sesshomaru. Inuyasha stood in front of his brother, effectively blocking his progress toward the trio.

"What brings you to this neck of the woods, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked coldly.

Sesshomaru looked his brother in the eyes and said, "This does not concern you, little brother." He continued toward the group, ignoring Inuyasha. When he was about 10 feet from the trio, he stopped and noticed the girl for the first time behind the wolf demon. His eyes went wide briefly as he took in the look of the girl, her hair, eyes, build and thought, "Akane?"

Inuyasha moved between Sesshomaru and the trio a second time, unsure of his brother's appearance either, but knew that something wasn't right. Sesshomaru moved a lock of hair from his face as he addressed his brother, "I see you've acquired another human for your group. Based on her appearance, she's the same as the girl you've been with for a while. What is it with you and human women, Inuyasha? What is your fascination with them? Do they make you feel human, or do they find your demon blood energizing?"

While he continued to needle Inuyasha, Sesshomaru continued to look at the trio, especially Mika. He wondered if her sudden appearance coincided with the half dog demon scent he'd followed to the village. He realized as he tracked the scent that it was not only hanyou, but mixed with wolf demon. He gazed at Mika intently as he realized that the wolf demon before her also had some of the same characteristics as the quaking girl. "Is this the scent I've followed? Is it her that I'm after? What is it that draws me to this woman?" Sesshomaru thought.

As the exchange of insults ensued, Inuyasha's temper flared. Once it reached its limit Inuyasha balled up his fist and took a sloppy swing at his brother. With the swing drawing Sesshomaru out of his deep thoughts, he side stepped the swing as a whip snaked from his fingers on his right hand. He lashed at Inuyasha relentlessly, causing him to use his haori of the fire rat as a shield. He continued to fight Sesshomaru, drawing him slowly away from Kagome, Koga and Mika.

As the fight continued, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara arrived. "What's going on? We heard some shouting and came to investigate," Sango asked as they approached Koga and Kagome.

Kagome replied, "We're not sure. Sesshomaru showed up and Inuyasha showed up, and they started to fight like normal."

"Well that makes sense. We'd best stay out of their way," Shippo replied. As the group turned toward the fight, no one took notice of Mika, or the concerned look upon her face.

"What is going on here?" she thought. "First it's this guy who I remember from the vision I had earlier today. Now it's that one out there, Sesshomaru, I think he's called. Why do I feel that they are connected to me?" As she thought about the whole situation, Koga began getting agitated at the close proximity of Sesshomaru to Mika. Even though the wind was in their favor, it could change direction and they would be in great danger.

As he slid up next to Kagome, he said, "We have to get her away from here now, or he will kill her!"

"Who will kill whom?" she asked, as she tore her eyes from the fight.

Koga only replied, "Sesshomaru will kill Mika."

"He'll do what?!" Kagome yelled as Koga grabbed Mika. Despite Mika's fear of men and her lack of knowledge of this one in particular, she knew he would not hurt her, and she'd gone with him willingly. Kagome looked toward the direction that Koga fled with Mika.

She grabbed Sango as she moved away from the fight. "What's going on, Kagome?" Sango looked around a second then asked, "Where's Mika and Koga?"

"Koga said something about Sesshomaru killing Mika and took off. We need to find them. Kirara, could you give us a ride?"

As Kagome and Sango swung onto Kirara's back, Sango asked, "Why would Koga have taken off with Mika like that? Does he know something we don't?"

"I'm not sure, but like Inuyasha clearly pointed out, she smells of wolves. The tattoo on her shoulder could be a description of her parentage and the pendant is that of a wolf. What else could it mean?"

Sango looked at Kagome as she replied, "It's possible. Once we catch up, we'll be able to get more information from him. Do you think that Miroku and Inuyasha will be able to find us once we catch up with Koga?"

"I'm fairly certain they will. There's Koga!" she exclaimed as the spotted a whirlwind.

As the fight continued, Sesshomaru was acutely aware when a majority of the group dispersed in a hurry. He had briefly seen the wolf take off with the red headed female as the others took off on the two-tailed demon cat, leaving behind the monk. Without the presence of the girl and the scent of the hanyou very faint, his thoughts focused on the girl. There was something about her that he felt was the answer to the questions he had about the scent he'd been following as well as a clue to Naraku. Immersed deep in thought, Sesshomaru did not see his brother pull back a haymaker punch. As Inuyasha let if fly, he knew it shouldn't connect, but was shocked when it landed solidly on his brother's left cheek, cracking the check bone, loosening a fang and splitting his lip.

Sesshomaru shook it off like a mosquito bite, wiping the blood from his lip off with the back of his hand, "What? Were you trying to hurt me? I don't have time to play with you, Inuyasha."

With that, he knocked Inuyasha to the ground, disabling him momentarily and took off in the general direction that the women went, with Inuyasha yelling, "Wait! Where are you going? Why are you following them?" Sesshomaru ignored the questions, concerned only with the combined scent of the dog and wolf demon.


	9. Revelations

**Revelations**

Koga ran as fast as he could all the while one thought repeated in his mind, "I have to get her away from Sesshomaru! I will not let her DIE! She's all that remains of Akane and I will NOT lose her!" Koga was now aware that the others were following.

As Koga searched for a safe place to rest, Mika kept wondering why he was in such a panic, "This guy doesn't seem to have any reason to be afraid of. He's so fast, and seems to be real strong, but then again the other one, he was almost terrifying. But he seemed so… familiar as if from a dream."

Koga had started to slow, spotting a cave that would easily suite his purpose, as he thought, "this cave looks good. Hopefully that stupid mutt was able to hold him off long enough for us to get away! Although now that I think of it, Inuyasha might be just as worried about her if he knew the truth." With that thought Koga blurted out, "Oh why am I worried about what that stupid mutt will say when he finds out! Right now I have to be concerned about getting Mika to safety!"

"What are you talking about? Why am I in so much danger? And how do you even know my name? Neither Kagome nor I gave it to you!" Mika demanded as he let her go. Mika backed a little was into the cave, away from Koga. On instinct her hands balled into fists and she brought them up into a defensive position.

Koga's face changed rapidly from concern to one of shock and surprise. He'd not intended to blurt out what he'd said, and wished that he'd been able to take it back. The hackles on the back of his neck refused to lie down, as an indication that Sesshomaru couldn't be far behind. Koga prayed he'd been able to cover their scent as they fled. As Koga and Mika faced each other, Kirara landed softly behind the two, unnoticed.

"I…I know who you are because I gave you your name after you were born, Mika," Koga tried to explain, moving a foot or two closer to the girl.

Mika lashed out at the wolf as she yelled, "You're lying! I've never seen you before in my life! You're using that other demon as an excuse to have me all to yourself!" As she advanced on the wolf, Mika's emotions ranged from livid anger to uncertainty. Koga circled Mika, looking for an opportunity to reach out to her. In a flash, when her defenses were momentarily down. Koga made his move and encircled her in his arms, holder her tight to his chest.

"I carried you in my arms like this after you were born. My sister, your mother, died after your birth. Her main concern as she lay dying was for you. To protect you from your father, Sesshomaru," Koga explained as he continued to hold the quacking girl.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she replied, "then you're the one who left me behind, because it was for my own safety?"

"Akane's dying request was to place you with a no good sword smith and flea. She felt that leaving you with the wolf tribe would draw him to us, for she feared his wrath."

Unable to bare the tension and unanswered question, Kagome blurted out, "What are you saying, Koga? Why would Sesshomaru go after Mika if she's wolf and dog demon? It doesn't make sense."

Mika pulled away from Koga as she made the connections between what he'd said, her tattoo and the pendant. "My mother wasn't full wolf demon, she was only half. Right, Koga?"

"How perceptive you are. Yes, Akane was a half demon. When you were born, on the night of a new crescent moon, she was at her most vulnerable in human form. For unknown reasons that we couldn't explain she died shortly after your birth. You were also in human form that night and I ran like the wind to have your demonic blood sealed to keep you safe. This was Akane's dying request."

Shocked, Kagome stuttered, "Sess…Sesshomaru is her Father!! You're kidding right? We all know he detests humans and half demons! Why would he… No, how could he forget his hatred to have a child with a half demon?"

"Kagome, I wasn't privy to the details and I knew my sister well enough to know that she had no reason to lie about the father. She even had Mika marked with her lineage for all to see if there was any doubt. If the binding spell didn't hold, the truth would be clear as day."

"So then," Mika murmured as she pulled the pendant from beneath her shirt, "You gave me this?"

Koga held the pendant for the first time. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at the wolf, seeing the similarities between the rendition and actual wolf demons. He fingered the name as he recalled his request of Totosai to carve the name. "Your mother wanted one of her fangs made into the pendant so that you'd have her near you. I had the old sword smith carve the name on the wolf, so that you'd have a name that your family gave you." He gave the pendant back to Mika.

"If you gave me this, then why did you throw me away? Didn't you want me?" Tears welled into her eyes as the words slipped past her trembling lips.

"NEVER… Never say that again!" He moved toward her, encircling her in his arms as he continued, "I wanted to keep you! But I'd promised your mother on her death bed that I would take you to people who would keep you safe! I had… I had no idea they would put you in that damn well! I'm so sorry Mika! I love you, and I've missed you every day since then. You're all I have left of my sister, but your father would have killed you simply because of your half demon blood! After Sesshomaru found out about Akane being half demon he attacked her. We all knew if you stayed here he would hunt you down and kill you. But I never thought they would throw you away like that. If I'd known, I would never have left you with them!"

"You swear you didn't know what they did to me?" Mika asked into his chest. "But if it's true then why don't I have the power like Inuyasha does?"

"Well that's another thing your mother insisted on. She was adamant that the flea put the binding spell on you to keep your demon half in check until you were old enough to protect yourself. I'm thankful that part of leaving you with them did work." Koga now had a smile back on his face as Mika seemed to be calmed, and comforted.

"Wow, so you're positive she's Sesshomaru's child?" Kagome asked again still in disbelief that Sesshomaru would ever be with a half demon.

"I have to agree with your sister though Koga. If Sesshomaru were to find out and Mika couldn't protect herself, or have someone to protect her, he would kill her." Sango said as she walked up to Mika.

Outside the cave…

Unknown to the group the Saimyosho had followed them and were connected straight to Naraku through Kana's mirror. "Well, well now that's interesting. Not only is that girl Kagome's cousin, but she's Sesshomaru's daughter, as well as Inuyasha and Koga's niece! What wonderful news! This girl should prove to be very useful! Hakudoushi, take Kagura and kidnap that girl and take her to the island were that demon horse is."

"Why Naraku what do you have in mind? You know that demon won't kill her."

"Yes, I'm well aware he won't, but I don't want her dead. I want the others to be so frantic trying to find her they are blind to all else. I believe even Sesshomaru will be interested in her, if only enough to kill the girl."

Hakudoushi laughed his agreement, "You're right Naraku, but while she may be strong we should send someone along to keep her company. Kohaku, you will watch over the girl while we need her."

"Yes master."


	10. Failed Kidnapping

**Failed Kidnapping**

Mika excused herself from the group, her mind reeling with the revelations she'd just had. "Now what do I do? I've just been told that not only am I from this era, but that I'm actually a demon who's father may just kill me because of the human blood in my veins! Great, if things weren't already complicated enough." She moved some distance from the cave entrance to think a little more clearly.

Back at the cave…

As Mika thought about the revelations, Kagome, Shippo, Sango and Koga watched quietly. "What do you think is going through her mind?" Kagome mused.

"Probably the same things I did after I lost my family and village through Naraku. I was lost for a bit, even with your help, Kagome, as well as that of Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo. She'll need some time to accept what's happened," Sango replied.

Kagome thought back to their first encounter with the demon slayer. She'd been badly injured in the fight at Naraku's castle, both emotionally and physically. Sango had falsely accused Inuyasha for the villager's death when it had been Naraku's doing. She had fought Inuyasha with all her remaining strength and a shard of the Shikon no Tama. In the end, they were able to remove the shard and get her to realize she'd been fooled by Naraku.

Outside the cave…

Deep in thought, Mika wandered a bit farther from the cave, trying to explain what had happened. As she moved farther away from the cave, she thought, "The demon part of me I guess I've always suspected. How else could I explain my acute senses of smell and hearing? Maybe that also explains my love of the outdoors as well." Mika continued to wander, deep in thought until she heard a branch snap nearby.

"What was that?" she thought, as she scanned the area of the crackling sound. Mika spotted the cracked branch a few feet up a nearby tree where a hawk had landed. As a weight lifted from her shoulders, Mika breathed a sigh of relief as she thought, "It was only a hawk. I'd best get back to the others." She turned back toward the cave and slammed into the chest of a creature she'd not seen.

"Excuse me," she murmured as she backed up, shaking off the shock of someone having snuck up behind her without a sound. As she backed up a bit she looked at the creature and saw not a man, but a horrific looking demon. His skin was a deep red and well muscled with four arms and bull like horns atop his head.

As he grinned as he said, "No need to excuse your self. I'm taking you to my cave for dinner." He licked his lips at the thought of a young human dinner.

Getting the idea rather quickly, Mika retreated a few more tentative steps as she retorted, "I'm not hungry. You're going to have to find another date!" Mika quickly took stock of her surroundings, looking for a weapon or escape route. She also noticed that through her wandering she'd moved out of sight of the cave and her friends. "Great! Now what can I do?"

As if on queue, a voice sounded from behind the demon, "She's not on the menu, creep!" The demon turned, eyes wide in shock as Koga kicked him square in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Try picking on someone your own size!"

Sango and Kagome rushed toward Mika as another four armed demon moved up behind her. Sango threw her Hiraikotsu, cleaving the demon in half as Kagome notched an arrow, looking for any more demons.

The demon Koga knocked down quickly regained his footing as Koga moved toward Mika, placing himself between the girl and demon. "I was looking for a quick snack. Now it looks like I'm getting a four course meal, with you, Wolf, as the main course!"

"I'd better tell you then that I'm stringy and not that tasty," Koga retorted as he held his ground to the oncoming demon.

With the others fighting the on rushing demons, Mika watched in amazement as well as dejection. She'd been able to take care of herself for a long time and felt almost helpless with the others fighting. As Koga jumped, kicked and scrapped with the demon, Mika realized that there was something not quite right about the whole fight. She looked around the battle ground and noticed a young child perched in a tree high above the fight.

As Hakudoushi realized he'd been spotted, he called out, "You're a lot brighter than I gave you credit for Girl! I'd planned on taking you without a fight, but I see from the battle below, that's not going to happen."

"What do you want with me?"

Hakudoushi smiled as he replied, "You'll see soon enough." He leapt from the tree, brandishing a naginata toward Mika and landed a few feet from the shocked girl. "It would be easier if you'd just give up and come with me."

As Mika moved into a defensive stance, she retorted, "I'd rather do this the hard way if you don't mind." Hakudoushi's smile quickly turned to a frown as he lunged at the girl. Mika side stepped the lung and grasped the handle of the weapon. As he passed the girl she quickly disarmed the young demon, knocking him to the ground in a move that took less than a second.

Brandishing the blade to the throat of Hakudoushi, Mika looked into the eyes of the demon. As she searched Mika noticed the split soul and evil that poured from the demon. Mika continued to searching his soul, all the while an evil smile creped across Hakudoushi's face as he said, "Are you finding something of interest in my soul, young Girl?"

"You're an evil, twisted bastard without a heart. I should just kill you," Mika replied as she added pressure to the blade at his neck.

Hakudoushi laughed as he replied, "You can behead me all you want. It will not kill me."

In disgust, Mika beheaded the demon spawn and whipped the blood on his clothes. As she walked away, the bodiless head floated from the ground as he evilly laughed, "I told you it wouldn't kill me!"

Mika whirled in shock as she brandished the naginata. "How can this be? I just cut off your head!"

Kagome rushed to Mika's side as she replied, "He's part of Naraku. Without a heart, he'll never die!" She let fly a sacred arrow at the floating head. As the arrow reached the head, a barrier appeared which deflected the arrow away from the intended target.

"Until next time," Hakudoushi said as he vanished into thin air.

Kagome and Mika looked around the clearing, noticing that all but two or three minor demons remained. Both girls moved toward the remaining demons and assisted Sango and Koga in the clean up.

"We need to leave this place," Koga surmised as the final demon fell. "If Hakudoushi found us that easily, then Sesshomaru shouldn't be that far behind."

Kagome looked at Mika as she replied, "I agree with Koga. By ourselves we're no match for Sesshomaru. I think that we should go to Totosai's and wait for Inuyasha and Miroku."

Once the group agreed, Sango, Shippo and Kagome swung onto Kirara as Koga carried Mika on his back. As they traveled, Koga glanced back at his niece as he commented, "You were pretty good in that fight. Where did you learn to move like that?"

Somewhere in the forest, far from the others…

As she told Koga of her martial arts training through her father's Navy Seal contacts, as well as some one-on-one training with her father, Inuyasha and Miroku speed after Sesshomaru. "What is it that he was after?" Miroku yelled as they ran.

Inuyasha glanced at Miroku as he replied, "I'm not sure, but I think it has to do with Mika. You go find the others while I track down Sesshomaru. Make sure that their safe." With that said, Inuyasha leapt into the tree tops, bounding agile from tree to tree.

Miroku thought a second as he continued to run, before he yelled, "How am I going to find them, Inuyasha?!"

As he continued on his way, Inuyasha replied over his shoulder, "Head toward Totosai's. I'm sure that scrawny wolf would go there." In a flash he was gone and Miroku headed toward Totosai's.

On the scent trail of Mika and Koga…

Sesshomaru moved with grace and purpose as he again followed the trail of the mixed breed scent, after following many false trails. "Why does that girl look so familiar?" As he got lost in his thoughts he realized that the fang Inuyasha had loosened fell out. He removed the fang from his mouth and looked at it closely before discarding it. "What good is the fang it's not where it belongs?" He continued on his way, oblivious to the flying bull, overhead.

After a few minutes and an hour for good measure, Totosai retrieved the discarded fang. "Oh, what luck this is!" he thought as he alighted back on the bull and moved off toward his home.


	11. Second Times the Charm

**Second Time's the Charm**

Volcanic plain…

As Koga and the others entered Totosai's abode, they noticed the lack of the old sword smith. "I wonder where he's off too! I've got some issues to deal with him," Koga exclaimed as he cracked his knuckles.

Shortly after their arrival, Miroku ran into the cave, huffing and puffing with the excursion. "Miroku, where's Inuyasha?" Kagome exclaimed.

Once he'd caught his breath and composure, he replied, "He decided to go after Sesshomaru, but didn't tell me why. I was instructed to make sure that Mika was kept safe." He moved toward Mika and took her hand in his. "Fair lady if you approve, I will swear to keep you safe!"

"Huh?" gasped Koga and Sango in unison.

As Mika was about to accept his gracious offer, his hand started to caress her back side. Mika quickly grasped the thumb of his hand and twisted his arm painfully behind his back. "Listen up you letch! I've castrated steers most of my life and men aren't that different. So keep your hands to yourself or you're going to be a eunuch!" Mika said coolly with malice as she held him in that position for a few minutes.

Koga rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, "Huh, and here I was worried about Mika not being able to take care of herself. Well that's my niece for you!" A smile crossed his face as he watched the monk squirm.

"Mika…" Miroku whined, "My intentions were truly honorable. It's my hand. It is possessed as if it has a mind of its own. Please forgive me, I meant no disrespect. Could you please release me?"

"As long as you keep your hands to yourself," Mika replied finally letting the monk's thumb go. She moved back toward Koga as she wondered out loud, "If Sesshomaru is my father, wouldn't that make Inuyasha my uncle as well?"

Koga thought for a second as he replied, "Well…I guess that mutt face would be your uncle." He spit the words out as if it hurt.

As Mika looked around the cave and noticed the numerous swords, armor and shields in various stages of assembly, she thought about Inuyasha and the fight that ensued that morning. "I wonder how he's going to react to this news. First I knock him out, and then it turns out I'm his niece. Great, what kind of family have I gotten myself mixed up with? Let's take a look at my family so far. My father doesn't know that I exist and has been in the dark about it this the whole time. One uncle knew, but couldn't do anything about it. The other doesn't know, yet, and was assaulted by me earlier.

Hopefully he doesn't hold a grudge. And my poor mother died giving birth to me." Mika sighed as she thought about her family. Shaking her head she thought, "Can you say 'dysfunctional'? I wonder if it will always be like this, or if once things come to light, that I'll finely find my place?"

As the heat of the cave seeped into Mika's body, she realized the need for fresh air. She slipped outside and took a few breaths of cool, clean air. While she enjoyed the cool evening breeze, she looked around the area and noticed a woman standing a little distance from the cave. Curious of the woman's appearance and mistaking her for the sword smith, Mika moved away from the safety of the cave.

As Mika advanced toward the woman, Kagura moved her fan to reveal her face. A smile slid across her lips as she said, "I thought that after your encounter with Hakudoushi it would have taught you to be more careful."

Mika stopped in mid-stride as she realized this demon also had the same scent as the one she'd beheaded earlier. As the shock struck, her hackles raised as she took a few tentative steps back toward the cave. "Who are you? I know you're not that little freak I injured earlier. You strive for life, where as he was just full of evil."

"You're very perceptive. I'm Kagura and I ask that you accompany me on a little journey. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

As Mika brought up her defenses, she replied, "Like I told the last guy, I'd rather not." Kagura sighed in disgust as she let loose her Dance of Blades on Mika. Mika jumped to avoid most of the blades, however a couple had sliced into her legs, letting loose some blood on the wind. Koga picked up on it immediately and rushed from the cave with the others in tow.

He sprinted past Mika to protect his wounded niece. "Kagura, it's been a while," Koga bit through clenched jaws.

"So, you're still alive. I thought you'd be dead by now," she retorted.

As the two squared off, Kagome rushed toward Mika only to be over taken by Kohaku. He swung at her and narrowly missed hitting her with his sickle. "I don't want to fight them," he thought, "but I can't hold back either. With those damn Saimyosho everywhere, he's watching to make sure I follow orders! He'd kill me if I knew I had my memories back. Now is not the time to blow it!"

When Sango saw her brother advance toward Mika, she grabbed her Hiraikotsu and screamed his name. She ran toward him as tears streamed down her face. "Why is he doing this?" she thought

Kohaku turned toward Sango. "Sister," he thought, "Please forgive me," as he turned his attention back to Mika who had gotten a hold of Koga's sword some how and held it in a defensive manner toward Kagura. Seeing the opportunity, Kohaku sprinted toward Mika in a zigzag fashion and came up behind her.

Mika turned her head slightly to the approaching footsteps of the young demon slayer. She saw his approach and countered his attack. As steel hit bone with a ring, Mika saw the look in his eyes. "What's with this kid? He's not like the others for he's human. Yet I can also tell he doesn't want this fight, that it's just for show," she thought. They scrapped a bit until Mika slipped on the grass which was wet with her blood. Kohaku sliced deeply into her dominant right arm, causing her to drop the sword. He moved behind her with his weapon at her throat. Within a few seconds they were enveloped in a barrier and began to lift into the air.

When Koga glanced over his shoulder and saw Mika and Kohaku leaving, he yelled, "Mika, I'm coming for you!" Ignoring Kagura, Koga sprinted toward the barrier and leapt, hitting it with such force it knocked him out.

"My, it seems Naraku was right about the value of this girl! How wonderful. Well if you really want to get her back then you'll have to find her. I'd best be going. I still have to inform Sesshomaru about his daughter. Oh and how cruel you have all been to him. He never even knew she existed! He'll be pleased to know she is alive and well, even if it's only because he will now be able to kill her himself." And with those words still burning in Kagome's ears they left, but as an after thought Kagura turned back and said, "Oh Kagome, don't despair. I'll tell you what… I'll give you a clue to the place you can find her. That way you may be able to find her before Sesshomaru does. Look for the son of the great demon horse, Entei to find your cousin." With that Kagura took a feather form her hair and followed behind Kohaku and Mika.

Just as Kagura disappeared over the horizon Inuyasha ran onto the plane. "What happened? Were the hell is Mika? What happened to him?" Inuyasha asked as he pointed to the wolf demon lying on the ground. Inuyasha was concerned because of the scent of blood and Kagura he was getting.

"Oh Inuyasha it's terrible! Kagura kidnapped Mika! We have to find her!" Kagome wailed as she clung to Inuyasha.

"What? That scrawny wolf let that wench Kagura lay a hand on her! He seemed even more protective of her then of you, Kagome." Just then he seemed to realize how upset Kagome was, "What happened?"

With a sigh Sango began to fill in both Inuyasha and Miroku about what had happened. "How were we to know Naraku was listening? It seems he's been planning this since Mika arrived. He also found out that Sesshomaru's her father. Kagura also intends to tell Sesshomaru about Mika in the hopes he'll try to kill her. So now all we have to do is find Mika before Sesshomaru does."

"I still can't believe it! My heartless brother is Mika's father! No way in hell! I can't see him fathering a half demon even if he'd lost his mind. He'd still remember his hatred for half demons. But that doesn't matter now. First we have to find Mika before Sesshomaru does. I hate to say it, but I think he would kill her, even though he is her father." With that Inuyasha picked up the still unconscious Koga and took off in the direction of Kaede's village to get more information on the son of Entei.

As the group started to leave, Sesshomaru ducked behind the lip of Totosai's cave to avoid detection. He was speechless and lost in thought remembering the kind half demon who'd taken him into her home to help is wounded body so many years ago, "How could she have… Why wouldn't she… I have a child? A… daughter …and every body… think…I'd kill her… because she's… a… half demon? Even Inuyasha can believe I'd kill her. I didn't even kill him when he was a baby. How could he think I would kill her? Even I'm not that cruel, but this does give me an idea. So Naraku will try to have me kill her. Well, I think I can play along enough to find her, even I can act." He started to consider his revenge on those who had deprived him of the option of accepting, or rejecting his own daughter.

Sesshomaru watched as his brother and the others left. He turned and headed back to the place he left Jaken and Rin all the while thinking the same thing over and over, "If only she had been a full demon I would have known about my child. Mika was her name. Stay safe… I have to talk to you… at least once." Then the image of Akane came back to him and he hurried away as if trying to run from her memory.


	12. Enter Ryuu, the Demon Horse

**Enter Ryuu, the Demon Horse**

The island of a dead war lord…

Mika glanced at her captor as they approached the main hall of the residence on the island. She noticed on their flight that he seemed quite sad. Kohaku had doctored her wounds once they had arrived. As he led her in, Mika immediately recognized the stench of Naraku and Hakudoushi. The evil of the two lay thick in the air, almost causing her to chock.

"Well, look at what we have here. I'm Naraku," he said as he approached Mika. He looked her over as he moved around her and Kohaku. "And from what I've been able to gather, you're a valuable prize to all concerned. What I'd like to know is how was it that you were able to get through my rift?"

Mika laughed as she thought back to her earlier conversation with Kagome. "I've no idea why I was able to come through, just that I'm here now. I guess that I should actually be grateful to you. Seeing as how if it hadn't been for your rift, I may have never found my real family."

Naraku shook his head as he replied, "That was merely a coincidence. For now, you're my guest." He motioned for Kohaku to escort Mika from the room. Once they left, Naraku looked at Hakudoushi. "There's something about this girl that's not right. I feel her demonic aura, but there's something else, something deeper, almost sinister in nature."

"Is there cause to be concerned? Should we kill her now? Or wait until the others arrive and we just kill them all?"

After a few moments, an evil smile crossed Naraku's face as he replied, "We let her go."

"What…?! Are you out of your mind?" Hakudoushi screamed. "After what she's put us through you plan on just letting her walk out of here! She's worth as much to us as the remaining jewel shards."

"Because of the unknown, I'd rather have her loose with them then have her turn on us. Once we understand her better, then we'll recapture her. We'll make it to where she escapes, but we'll not make it easy."

Hakudoushi smiled as he saw the brilliance of Naraku's plan. "Do you think that they'll catch on?"

As an evil grin crossed his face, Naraku replied, "Not in the least. They won't know what hit them!"

As Kohaku and Mika exited the main room, Mika began to feel really faint. Through the loss of blood and the physical exertions in the last two fights took their toll. She collapsed a mere ten feet from the room they had reserved for her. Kohaku carefully dragged her to the lone bed. Once he made sure her wounds were redressed, he knelt near the bed, deep in thought.

"Why do they need her? She seems like an ordinary girl to me. I just hope she's able to escape from these people. If only I'd be able to leave with her, but I have to kill Naraku first." He thought. After checking on her one last time, Kohaku left for his own room, deep in thought.

Mika lay on her bed, engrossed in a dream of fleeting images intermingled with the screams of a horse fighting for its life. Once Mika realized that the screams were real, she awoke in agony. Her wounds had not yet healed due to the thrashing about on her bed causing the deeper ones to reopen.

Carefully she eased out of bed and moved toward the lone window. Mika leaned on the window sill, trying to determine where the screams were coming from. As the screams rang out across the island, they reverberated over the entire area through the surrounding mountains and valleys, making it difficult for Mika to pinpoint the horse's location. With a heavy heart and a sigh, Mika returned to her bed, determined to find the source of the screams of pain and suffering. As fatigue gripped her body, Mika collapsed on her bed, deep in sleep before her head hit her pillow.

Early the next morning, Mika awoke to the smell of some sweets and rice. She stretched her aching muscles, scratching unconsciously at the bandages that covered her arm and legs. Mika's nose led her to the try of food set near the door. "Kohaku must have placed it there while I slept," she thought. As she looked over the meager meal, Mika said aloud, "Why can't they just eat regular food like bacon and eggs. I'd kill for some sourdough toast or even a bowl of cereal!" Mika raised the chopsticks at the ready and after a few unsuccessful attempts got the hang of eating. Her final thought as she finished her meal was, "What I wouldn't give for a fork right now!"

Once she finished her meal, Mika moved toward the lone window as she thought about the screams of the wounded horse from the night before. "Where did the sounds come from? I know it originated from this island, but where?" She looked out the window as she said aloud, "What have I gotten myself into?" From her vantage point she was able to see the entirety of the island. As Mika looked over the island, she noticed the corrals and a small stable a little ways from the main buildings. She went to the door of her room and found it unlocked. "Sloppy work on their part, and yet I guess it would be pointless unless I was able to find a boat to escape." Mika moved quickly through the corridors of the main building and exited near the stables.

As she entered the stables, Mika was quite surprised for they were nearly empty. In fact the only animal stabled was a filthy, beaten horse of indiscernible color. As she moved toward the stall of the horse, Mika picked up on the faint smell of blood and decay. Mika followed the putrid smell to a nearby corner where a corpse lay sprawled on the floor. While fighting the urge to throw up, she gripped the haori of the dead servant and dragged him out of the stable, as far away from the horse as possible. From the looks of the servant, he had died a horrific death, Mika surmised. Once the body had been removed from the stable, she returned to the horse. Under the thick layer of dirt, mud and blood, Mika could see the faint coloring of a dark reddish bay and white body with black and white mane and tail. As she leaned on the stall door, the horse kept its head down and stayed as far away from her as possible.

"I'd stay away from him if I were you," a youth's voice said from behind her. Mika turned an ear toward the voice, without letting her eyes leave the horse.

As Kohaku leaned against the door as well, Mika asked, "What happened to him? I can smell the dried blood and the open sores from here." The horse twitched his tail as he felt their eyes survey his injured body.

"Hakudoushi and Naraku have tried breaking this horse's spirit. He is the son of Entei, a powerful demonic horse that chose his rider based on demonic power and strength. He chose Hakudoushi as his rider before he was killed by Inuyasha. This colt was born only recently, but due to his demonic powers he has grown to the equivalent of a 3 year-old in a matter of months. However, he has not taken to either of the masters and for that they are trying to break him to their will. As you can see, his spirit seems broken, yet when he sees either Hakudoushi or Naraku a flame jumps into his eyes and he fights as if the devil were on his tail," Kohaku explained, understanding the horse's feelings, but unable to allow his emotions to show.

Mika moved into the stall quietly before Kohaku could advise her against it. "Would you bring me a bucket of water, some rags and ointment please? Make sure to pass them in carefully as not to spoke him. And see if you could also find some carrots as well, but bring the other stuff first," Mika asked. Kohaku bowed his head silently, and left the stable as quickly as he could on his errand.

Mika turned her attention toward the horse as she slowly moved toward his battered body. She kept the wall to her back and spoke soft soothing words. As she moved toward him, the horse would shuffle to the opposite side of the stall. He stomped his rear hoof in warning and swished his tail more vigorously. Mika took the hint to avoid the hind quarters. She slid closer to the colt until he started to move away from her again. Instead of continuing toward his head, Mika slowly slid down the wall, to sit on the straw strewn floor, reducing her size to as small as possible. As she settled on the floor, waiting for the horse to get use to her presence, Kohaku returned to the stable with the requested provisions. He placed them inside the stall and walked away, leaving the strange young woman to her venture.

Mika continued her quiet vigil on the horse as the light slowly began to fade into dusk and then dark. As the light faded to night, Mika noticed the lights in the corridor being lit. Kohaku peered into the stall as he passed by with a torch in hand. "Are you planning on staying here tonight?" he asked.

"Is there any place else for me to be?" she asked, then retorted with a smile, "I'd rather sleep here than in that room. Here at least I feel free, where as there I feel like I'm being held as a prisoner. Thanks for bringing the stuff I asked for earlier." Kohaku left the girl and the horse as he continued his rounds of the surrounding buildings. Mika looked at the colt as she said, "I'll still be here in the morning, whether you like it or not, so get use to it." Mika leaned against the wall, shifting her weight, getting comfortable on the floor for the evening.

As the night continued, the horse slowly moved toward the sleeping girl. In his mind she was no different than his captors when she first approached him. If it had not been for the hobbles on his forelegs, he would have attacked the intruder and killed her. However, as the day progressed, he slowly began to sense that she was very unlike the others. He slowly realized that this was a half-demon before him, but that she did not emanate the dark evil aura of Naraku or Hakudoushi. As the girl slept, the colt moved slowly toward her resting body. His nose breathed in her scent as his head hung near her sleeping form. From this scent, he was able to sense her good hearted intentions and kindness. From that point on, the colt fell asleep, his nose resting on her chest, knowing that he'd found his rider.

Early the next morning, Mika awoke with the colt's nose on her chest. She slowly moved her hand to his muzzle, rubbing his great jaw. The colt woke with a jerk of his head, unused to the soft comforting touch of anyone. Mika lowered her hand back to her lap as the colt moved away from her. As she stretched her aching muscles, Mika noticed that although the colt had moved away from her, he was closer then he had previously been the night before. Within a few minutes, the colt moved back to Mika, nuzzling her shoulder and chest with his muzzle. Mika slowly raised her hand to his muzzle again; he at first flinched at her touch, but did not move away from her. She slowly rubbed his great soft nose and as much of his head she could reach. He muffled a nicker as he continued to nuzzle her chest. The colt was glad to have followed his nose and took a liking to the girl relatively quickly. From her touch, he could tell she was used to working with horses and that she was not heavy handed and malicious as the captors were.

Mika slowly moved to her feet as she continued to move her hands across the colt's nose, down his cheek and onto his graceful neck. As she moved, she could feel the once tense muscles melt into acceptance at her touch. She moved slowly toward the bucket of water and the rags, not taking her eyes or hand off the horse. When she touched his body with the water, the colt tensed again, however after some encouraging words and the kind touch of Mika, he allowed her to wash the filth from his body.

Within a couple of hours and changing the water in the bucket numerous times, Mika was able to remove all the dirt, mud and dried blood from the colt's bay and white coat. She treated the wounds with the ointment Kohaku left as well. As she looked over the colt, she was amazed at how big he actually was. At the lowest point on his back, she could barely see across. She moved her hands over his body again, just as a general rub down as she thought of her days riding the ranges of Idaho on horses from the nearby ranch. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of her last ride on horseback, three days before the accident that claimed her parents' lives. Mika pressed her face into the great chest of the horse and cried. As best he could, the colt comforted the crying maiden by pulling her close to his chest with a gentle nudge of his great head, uncertain as to why she cried, but feeling the need to be solid for her. Once she was able to dry her tears, Mika exited the stall and took a rope off a nearby hook.

As Mika entered the stall once again, she noticed the colt back into the corner of his stall, ears laid flat to his head and teeth bared. Mika looked at the rope in her hands and saw the bloody hairs entwined in the rope's length. Upon seeing the horrific mess, she threw the rope out of her hands into the opposite wall, sensing the rope was the tool of their evil captors. Mika thought for a few minutes, knowing that the horse would need to eat something shortly; she looked around the sparsely furnished stable. Seeing loops of thin leather hanging from a rack above some saddles, Mika immediately went to them. After a few minutes she was able to fashion a crude halter and lead rope from them.

As she approached the horse, the colt sniffed at the new contraption in her hands. He allowed her to place the halter about his head and lead him slowly from the stall toward the small pasture nearby. Once he was able to enter the pasture, Mika looped the lead over his back and attached it to the halter, making a hackamore from the leather. She moved back toward the fence as the horse ate his fill of grass. Kohaku appeared next to her as he said, "The masters will not be pleased about you leading the horse out here. He is wild and needs to be kept confined."

"Like you, I suppose," Mika retorted, never taking her eyes off the horse.

As the look of surprise crossed his face, Mika replied, "No need to tell me to keep quiet. It's none of my business what happens. I know that your sister misses you greatly and you reflect that as well."

"How do you know what …" Kohaku responded, but never was able to find the words to express his concern without giving away his returned memories.

Mika turned toward the youth, her lips near his ear as she whispered, "I can see it in your eyes for they are the window into your soul. Keep your thoughts of killing Naraku buried for they will be your undoing." She turned back to the horse as he continued to graze.

As she looked over the horse, she remembered the hobbles on his forelegs. "Kohaku, why does he have the hobbles? If this is an island as you say, then there is no reason for him to be hobbled as such for there is no place for him to run to. Or am I missing something?" Mika asked.

"This is no ordinary horse. Like his father, this one can fly, however to do so he needs to be able to jump into the air and race the wind as he would on land. With his front legs bound as such he can only walk on the earth and not get free."

Mika moved toward the horse as he fed. As her hands touched the leather restraints, Kohaku yelled, "Don't…." but the words died on the wind as she let them fall to the ground. The colt continued to graze, moving his legs in a little wider range than previously able. Once the realization that the horrid leather hobbles were removed, the colt started to move a little faster around the pasture, going from a swift walk to trot to canter in a few steps. He returned to Mika and nuzzled her chest.

Mika rubbed the great horse as she whispered, "You're welcome, Ryuu."

"How touching, a girl and her horse, it would bring a tear to my eyes if I had a heart," a child like voice came from behind Mika.

As she turned to look at the horrid child, Ryuu pushed her behind his massive body; his teeth bared and ears flattened as he took a defensive position between Mika and Hakudoushi. "I thank you for bringing the spirit back into this horse. It will make breaking him a lot more pleasant," he continued as he entered the pasture.

Ryuu continued to hold his defensive position between the two as the evil child advanced. He pawed the ground in front of him, snorting viciously to spook the intruder. Mika stated, "I would leave if I were you Hakudoushi. From his reaction to you, this horse is not fond of you. He'll kill you if given the chance."

Hakudoushi laughed manically as he advanced on the pair. Ryuu reared onto his hind legs, fanning the air before his body as he opened his mouth. When the horse's mouth opened a look of horror crossed Hakudoushi's face as Ryuu unleashed a terrifying fire blast that toasted the evil child to a crispy critter. As the charred remains of Hakudoushi laughed and floated away from the pasture, Ryuu went down on one knee, allowing Mika to slide onto his back. Mika was used to riding bare back, and gripped the colt tight with both her legs as she wrapped her hand into his thick mane. He sprung off the ground and flew higher into the air, away from the island and its evil inhabitants.

Halfway to the shore, Mika heard the wind whistle in her ears on a relatively non windy day. She looked over her shoulder and saw the demon, Kagura unleash her "Dance of Blades." Mika pulled the reins sharply to the right to avoid being cut to ribbons; however she had misjudged the trajectory of the blades and received some minor cuts across her back and upper arms. Ryuu turned in mid-air, and charged the wind sorceress head on, dodging her "Dance of Blades" as he moved in for a kill. At the last possible moment, to avoid being run down, Kagura moved in the opposite direction of his charge, unleashing a massive attack. Ryuu screamed in pain as the blades caught the horse in the chest, leaving a large gash in his beautiful coat. As he turned broadside to Kagura, leaving Mika unexpectedly exposed, the wind sorceress used it to her advantage. She unleashed one final assault, catching Mika squarely on the left side, cutting her deeply in the arm, leg and chest, reducing her clothes to ribbons and spraying her blood onto the wind. A blade of wind had cut through Ryuu's thick mane that Mika had entwined her hand in, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall into the lake below.

As she fell, Mika thought of all that had happened and only one word came to her mind as she hit the water below, "Father." Her demonic essence pulsated like a single heart beat as she slid under the water, into unconsciousness. The essence crossed the surface of the lake as fast as wildfire. It sought out its target in the blink of an eye.

Forest depths in search of Mika…

From a great distance, Sesshomaru stood quietly in a clearing of the woods, not far from where Koga, Kagome, and the others searched. His eyes were closed as he listened to the surrounding sounds, trying to discern those of the Saimyosho so that he could find Naraku. As the essence hit his senses, Sesshomaru thought, "My… daughter… is calling… to me? This can't be right! How could she accept me without knowing me?" His eyes flashed open; as flames flew into them as he thought of the danger his own flesh and blood was in. He moved quickly away from the group, directly toward the island in the lake a great distance from his current position, determined to be nearer to his daughter, save her if possible.


	13. Demonic Rebirth

**Demonic Rebirth**

Forest surrounding the lake of the island…

As the blood hit the air its scent dispersed quickly in all directions. Koga picked up on it first, but Inuyasha was closer. He ran as fast as he could, leaping from tree to tree to get to the edge of the lake, frantic for Mika's safety as thoughts of her death coursed through his mind. Inuyasha found her lying face up in the water, blood flowing from numerous wounds on the left side of her body. Without hesitation Inuyasha swam out to Mika, pulling her to shore. Her once blue shirt was soaked with blood and water. He ripped it off her body, barely noticing her almost naked chest. The same went for the shredded jeans. As he frantically tried to stop the bleeding with the remnants of her clothes, Mika started to shiver uncontrollably, partially from the cold water of the lake, the rest due to blood loss and shock. Inuyasha took off his haori and wrapped Mika as best he could against the cold. He carried her limp body a great distance from the lake to a naturally formed shelter of trees. He started a fire of driftwood to try and warm her cold body. As the fire sputtered to life, Inuyasha took her into his arms, holding her cold body to his chest to help in warming her up. Within an hour of starting the fire, Mika had quit shivering and slept soundly under his watchful eyes.

After laying her carefully to the ground, he moved to the entrance of the tree-formed cave. "How could I not sense her blood link to me? Was I that blind?" he thought, as he went over the information Sango had told him and Miroku about Mika's parentage. "To think, I'm related to that Mangy Wolf!" Deep in thought, Inuyasha didn't see the muscular horse that stood in the entrance. For Inuyasha it felt a kin to hitting a brick wall, where as for Ryuu it was akin to being hit with a whip. He laid his ears back and swung a rear hoof at the dazed Inuyasha, catching him square in the chest. From the force of the kick, Inuyasha flew through the air, crashing into the trees that formed the back wall of the cave. He hit the floor with a heavy thud. Ryuu looked at the dog demon, knowing that he'd helped his injured rider, was all that kept him from flambéing the hanyou to a crisp. He turned his massive head back to the clearing, surveying the area for intruders. Inuyasha raised his battered body off the ground. He eyed the horse with contempt as he demanded, "Where the hell did you come from?"

Ryuu stomped a foot in warning to the dog demon, but he refused to move from the entrance. Not wanting to press the issue at this point in time, and welcoming the unexpected help, Inuyasha brushed the leaves and dirt from his clothes and moved toward Mika. He laid her head in his lap, gazing upon her serine face, noticing for the first time that some of her features, although in human form, were those of his brother, her nose and high cheek bones, but more feminine.

As he laid a protective hand on her shoulder, Inuyasha said, "I will protect you, whether it's from Sesshomaru, Naraku, or any one else stupid enough to try and hurt you." He thought of the previous evening, in his human form feeling helpless as Koga and his wolf demons searched relentlessly the surrounding area for Mika. He'd searched on, relying on his rudimentary human senses. Basically he took the information Kagome received from Kagura and asked local villagers. They pointed toward the distant lake. He moved toward the lake as fast as humanly possible throughout the night. Lost in thought, Inuyasha drifted off to sleep, with his hand laid protectively on her shoulder.

As Inuyasha slept, Mika fought her nightmarish dreams. Although her body lay still under Inuyasha's protective hand and haori, Mika's mind raced through all she'd been through the last few days. Although she'd never actually met Sesshomaru, in her dreams she saw him as an evil, hate filled demon that killed for the pleasure of killing. In the dream she fought him with all her might to protect herself, friends and new found family. As he swung his mighty sword Tokijin, Mika raised her sword for protection. They met with a clash of steel on steel and a blinding blue light. As the blue light intensified in brightness and intensity it consumed them both. In the dream Mika could feel the cold essence of the light encompass her body, flow through her skin and enter her very blood. The extreme cold essence of the light burned without fire and scorched her body to the very bone. As she held off Sesshomaru's blade, the pain in her body intensified. Her vision began to blur as the battle raged on. Sesshomaru continued to force Tokijin down onto Mika's blade, forcing her to one knee. Unable to take the pain of the blue light any longer she focused her energy into one last move. She screamed a terrifying war cry 'Arctic Dragon' as she transferred all her pent up energy into her blade. The energy bathed her sword in a bluish light. In a final burst of energy, she repelled the Tokijin, throwing Sesshomaru into the air. A look of shock crossed Sesshomaru's stoic face for a split second when he realized what had happened. He landed on his feet, and charged toward Mika, the Tokijin rose, anticipating the strike to her body. Mika whirled a fraction of a second to late to block the blow. Tokijin bit deep into her unprotected stomach, impaling her on its length to the hilt. Sesshomaru looked his daughter in the eye one last time.

"Die," was all he said as his demonic energy flowed through his arm into the sword. The demonic "Dragon Strike" energized Tokijin, and coursed into Mika. The energy poured into her body, through every muscle fiber of her being as it made her blood boil. She screamed in pain, more horrific than any scream or pain she'd ever felt. As she screamed in her nightmare, Mika awoke screaming, her pain unwavering in intensity. She bolted off the ground, oblivious to her surroundings. Inuyasha's haori fell off her body as she raced from the shelter, passed a spooked Ryuu into the clearing beyond.

Awakened with a jolt, Inuyasha tried to place his hand on her shoulder as she jumped up. In reflex, Mika swung her arm back, grazing his cheek with extended claws. His hand clamped onto her shoulder, only to be jerked back as the extreme cold of her body burned it. Mika blindly ran into the clearing, unaware of anything or anyone. Inuyasha raced after her, as he throwing his haori on as he ran. As fast as he was, all he could catch of Mika were glimpses of her flowing strawberry blond hair and blurs of her arms and legs. He noticed her speed had increased ten fold. "Not surprising," he thought as he chased after her, "Considering her parentage."

A few minutes later, after a substantial distance, Inuyasha finally caught up with Mika. She was kneeling at the edge of a small river. Her hair flowed down her back, covering her near nakedness. Inuyasha slowly approached her quacking body smelling the salty tears from his niece. Mika's hands covered her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, thankful that the pain which had wracked her body had diminished.

"Mika," Inuyasha said as he hesitated in his desire to help his niece and acutely aware of the pain coming from his burned palm. She turned her head slightly, listening to the approaching footsteps as well as her spoken name. Inuyasha gasped as he saw her ear having been transformed from human configuration to that of her demonic pedigree. Her pointed ears reflected both wolf and dog demon traits.

He slowly approached her, not wanting to spook her any further than what had already taken place. Mika turned back toward the river, ignoring Inuyasha as he approached, not wanting to show her face. Inuyasha slowly approached her from behind.

As he stood behind her, his hand hovered over her shoulder, making sure that the cold had dissipated from her body. He slowly lowered his hand toward her shoulder. As Mika felt his loving hand come to rest on her shoulder, she turned into his chest, wetting his haori with her tears. With his arm across her shoulders, the sleeve of his haori covered her body; leaving only her ankles and feet uncovered. As she wept, Inuyasha comforted her as best he could. He noticed the mark of two purple strips across the tops of her feet and lower legs.

As he pulled her deeper into his chest, Inuyasha said, "I know what you're going through. This is your demonic transformation that your mother has been trying to prevent since your birth. I'm sorry you have to go through this now, I wish that there was a way I could help you to where it didn't hurt so badly."

Mika wiped her tears as best she could with her face in his chest, as she replied meekly, "Why is this happening to me? Why now? Why didn't this happen before?"

"I believe it has something to do with this era. According to Koga, you were born on a new crescent moon as a human, same as your mother. In order for your demonic powers to be unleashed, you had to continue to be here, in this time for the transformation to take place. However, since Myoga placed a binding spell on you and placed you in the Bone- Eater's well, it hampered your transformation until today. What you experienced today will be the only time that happens, unless you're able to go full demon, which I'm unsure of, considering your human part," he replied as best he could to her questions.

Mika pulled away from his chest to gaze into his face. She searched his eyes for lies and deception, but all she saw was warmth and compassion. For Inuyasha, the undoubted truth of her parentage was before him. As she looked into his amber eyes, he focused on her forehead and cheeks for there was the proof that she was the daughter of Sesshomaru. Upon her forehead was a new crescent moon of a purplish-blue color and one strip each of purple across her cheeks.

"What? What are you looking at?" she inquired as she noticed the look on his face, wiping the trails of tears with the back of her hand.

Inuyasha shook his head a second before replying. "You're markings are similar to Sesshomaru's. There is no denying that his is you father. Now all we have to do is keep him away from you."

Taken back a bit by what he implied, Mika pulled away from his protective arm as she replied, "I have a desire to know my father whether you or Koga like it or not. I'll take my chances." She turned back toward the river as she looked at her reflection in the water. As she brought her hands to her face, touching her striped cheeks, she realized that her hands had changed as well. No longer did she have puny human nails, but sharp claws. "Kagome is going to freak out when she sees this," Mika thought. She regained her footing and glanced at the rest of her nearly naked body. The wounds from the previous evening were almost healed, leaving faint trails of scratches to indicate where they had been. Mika looked over the rest of her body, noticing the markings across her feet, forearms, and along her rib cage as wall as the lengthening of her strawberry blond hair to her knees.

As Mika admired her new body, Inuyasha had removed his haori and slowly approached her. He gently slipped the garment over her shoulders as he said, "You're not going to want to be running around unclothed. Who knows what's hiding in the surrounding forest. Lord knows that Miroku wouldn't hesitate on peeking if given a chance."

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Thanks for being here for me." Mika turned to look into his face one more time, noticing for the first time the scratch marks across his cheek. "Oh! Did I scratch you?"

"Huh? Oh, those cuts? Yeah, but don't worry about it. You weren't thinking clearly when it happened," Inuyasha replied.

"I'm truly sorry, Inuyasha. I guess you're right. I don't remember doing that, but then again I was in a lot of pain and not aware of my surroundings. I vaguely recall running past Ryuu. Is he with you?"

A quizzical look crossed Inuyasha's face as he scratched his head. "Ryuu…? I don't recall there being anyone around when you fled from where we spent the night. What did he look like?"

"I'd say a horse built like a small brick hut with a reddish-brown and white coat with black and white mane and tail. You couldn't miss him," Mika replied.

As she described the horse that kicked him, Inuyasha replied, "That flea bag. He stood guard over us last night. Despite his size he moves very quietly. I'm not sure where he is now. I was more concerned about you."

Forest, a bit of a distance from Inuyasha and Mika…

Unbeknownst to the duo, Kagura approached a group of a dozen horrific demons. Addressing the leader she said, "Not far from here is a clearing with a powerful demonic horse. He's the son of Entei, catch him and he'll lead you to immense power, enough to be allied with Naraku. But first you must kill his rider and the man she travels with."

Sneering at the wind sorceress, the Leader replied, "Why should I believe anything that you say? What proof do you have that horse exists?"

Kagura turned her back on the demons as she replied, "I don't have to prove anything. I was just offered you some free friendly advice. It's up to you whether you follow it or not."

The leader thought a moment, compiling his thoughts as he replied, "If this is true, where can I find this horse of immense power?"

Kagura withdrew a feather from her hair as she replied, "Follow me." She sailed on the feather through the air, followed on the ground by the group in hot pursuit. As she flew toward the clearing, she thought, "This is ridiculous. If Naraku wanted the horse so badly, why not just recapture the girl and the horse would follow. Why does he insist on all these games and trickery? Unless, there's more to the girl than meets the eye and Naraku is afraid of her." Smiling slightly to herself, Kagura pointed toward the clearing and then left the demons to their fate.


	14. Fight of the Demons

**The Fight of the Demons**

Mika secured the haori about her lithe frame and whistled for her missing horse. Off in the distance you could hear an answering whistle, as well as the thundering of hooves. Ryuu skidded to a stop in front of the transformed girl. Despite her changed appearance, he recognized her as his rider through her scent. He pushed her gently with his muzzle as she embraced the horse.

Stunned, Inuyasha gawked at the girl as he realized who the horse reminded him of, Entei. His blood boiled at the thought of the demonic horse he'd killed in a cave a while back. "Get away from him, Mika. He's the son of a killer, "Inuyasha commanded as he withdrew Tetsusaiga, which transformed into its demonic form.

Mika took her face from the colt's great chest to look at her uncle. "What are you talking about, Inuyasha? This horse saved my life and helped me escape that accursed island. I'll not let you kill him!" She yelled, refusing to move from the horse.

"Mika, I know what I'm talking about! That horse is descended from an evil, vile horse that killed thousands of people with his rider. He needs to be destroyed!"

Picking up on his rider's distress, Ryuu swung his head toward Inuyasha to glare at the cause of the distress. As he sized up the half demon, Ryuu could sense the love emanating from Inuyasha and his determination to protect the girl. A sad look crossed Ryuu's face as he felt the conflict within his rider and the conflict within her heart. He could tell that she was torn between the love and concern of the half demon, as well as her love of the horse whom she'd befriended. Ryuu nuzzled the girl into his chest as the half demon stood; gap jawed at the defiant girl.

Mika composed her thoughts as she finally looked her uncle in the eye. "I will not let you kill this horse based on the deeds of his father. Leave him alone, Inuyasha, for he is our ally. Ryuu has a deep hatred of Naraku and Hakudoushi. Besides you, yourself implied that his father chose his own rider. Apparently, he's decided that I'm to be his, seeing as how I showed him compassion."

Returning the Tetsusaiga to its sheath, Inuyasha inquired, "Is that so? How, pray tell, did you befriend a demonic horse then?" He crossed his arms across his chest, waiting to hear the tale.

Mika quickly filled him in on the screams of pain she'd heard the first night on the island, as well as her second night in the horse stall as she tried to gain his trust. She concluded with his attack of Hakudoushi, kneeling to allow her on his back and the fight with Kagura above the water. "As you can see, he tried to save me. Apparently after I fell into the lake, he watched over me until you arrived and pulled me out of the lake. That's why he followed you to the shelter, to continue to protect me," Mika concluded. She had neglected to tell him of her thoughts of her father, or calling out to him as she fell.

"Well, I'm not happy about this," he said as he approached his niece and the horse. "But I'll give him a chance if it means that much to you." As Inuyasha placed a protective hand on Mika's shoulder, Ryuu glared at him and swung his head to knock Inuyasha back form his rider, his teeth bared and ears laid back.

Mika smiled softly as she soothed the protective horse. "Now, now Ryuu, he's on our side. Inuyasha won't hurt you. Now behave." With an eye on Inuyasha, Ryuu stomped a back hoof as if to say, "Hurt my rider and I'll mess you up."

Inuyasha glanced at the colt as he replied, "I see that he has taken a liking to you." He moved toward the horse as he addressed Ryuu directly, "Keep her safe, you nag. Turn on her or anyone else in our company and I won't hesitate to do to you what I did to your sire." He rattled the Tetsusaiga in its sheath for emphasis.

Understanding the meaning of the half demon, Ryuu gently nuzzled Inuyasha, nipping lightly at the sleeve of his shirt. Mika moved toward her uncle, catching him in an embrace of gratitude. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now, let's get back to the others. I'd have thought that mangy wolf would have showed up by now. I guess that we're going to have to find the others, but we're upwind and I can't catch their scent."

Noticing that Ryuu still wore the hackamore, Mika commented, "We'd cover more ground if we were airborne. Ryuu could easily carry us both."

Before Inuyasha was able to reply a dozen or so demons surrounded the trio. The leader looked them over as a sly smile crossed his face. "It seems the Wind Sorceress was right. This looks like easy pickings."

Drawing the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha retorted, "Think again, stupid. I'm anything by easy!" He turned an eye toward Mika as he leveled the transformed Tetsusaiga, toward the demons, "Stay with Ryuu. Get out of here and find the others!"

The lead demon retorted, "That horse is coming with us. He'll make a great addition as my steed." He ordered the others to attack. Three approached Ryuu as two went after Mika and the rest surrounded Inuyasha.

Ryuu placed his massive body between the advancing demons and Mika. He snorted and pawed the ground, daring them to attack. Mika adjusted Inuyasha's haori to where she could move a little more freely as the other demons circled the horse. She flexed her claws and felt the cold energy mixed with vitriol radiate down her arms. The final group of demons encircled Inuyasha completely cutting him of from his niece and the horse. All of a sudden, all twelve demons attacked the trio. Ryuu opened his mouth to release a demonic wave of blue energy, toasting the three advancing demons to mere ashes. Mika's claws dripped vitriol as her two attackers approached. Once charged head on as the other rushed her from her blind side.

"Ryuu," was all she said as she attacked the first demon head on. Ryuu swung out his left rear hoof to catch the second demon in the chest, throwing him several feet into a nearby tree. The airborne demon crashed heavily into the tree, getting impaled on several branches. Mika slashed at her attacker's face, raking her acid claws across his cheek. The demon reeled back, howling in pain with his hands held to his face.

"Wench!" he screamed. "I'll kill you!" As he dropped his hands, Mika saw the deep claw marks running from his forehead to chin on the left side of his face. The vitriol spread quickly, dissolving most of his face to the bone. He charged Mika with a wild scream. Anticipating his move, Mika crouched, claws at the ready. The blood crazed demon bared down on her without any thoughts to his actions. As he hovered near Mika, she made her move. The claws on her hands extended slightly as she ripped the demon from groin to throat. "Ice Reaper!" rung on the wind as blue energy revealed the claw marks on the demons chest. Within seconds the demon disintegrated into a pile of dust and bones as his screams died on the breeze.

Mika looked at the remaining demons as they continued to fight Inuyasha. He was bleeding heavily from wounds to his shoulders, thighs and chest, coloring his once white shirt into a dripping dark red mess. Of the seven demons that attacked him, two demons and the leader remained. Inuyasha held the Tetsusaiga toward the trio, as he thought, "How am I going to do this? My vision is beginning to get blurry. I have to get out of this!" Sensing their prey was beginning to weaken, the three demons rushed him again. Without a second thought, Inuyasha swept the Tetsusaiga toward the on rushing demons. "Wind Scar!" he yelled as five yellow claw marks raced toward them. Unable to avoid the attack, two of the demons screamed in horror as the third jumped out of the way.

Ryuu saw the attack race toward Mika, who Inuyasha had failed to see, was in the direct line of fire. "Mika…Run!" Inuyasha screamed as he collapsed from exhaustion to one knee. "I can't save her from my own attack," he thought as he mentally cursed himself. He saw in amazement as the giant horse moved as lightning to protect Mika and remove her from harms way. Ryuu grabbed the neck of the haori she wore and dragged her to safety. A wave of gratitude and relief crossed his face as he saw his niece moved to safety. However, the relief was short lived as the last demon grabbed his injured shoulder roughly, lifting Inuyasha into the air.

"You should watch where you swing that sword, fool. You nearly killed me!" he yelled as he knocked the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's hands.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Inuyasha cracked a smile as he replied, "If I'd wanted you dead, you would be by now!" He flexed his claws and swung at the demon as "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" passed his lips, severing the demon's arm that held him at the shoulder.

Looking at his bloody arm lying at his feet, the demon saw red. "You bastard," he snarled. Focusing his entire attention on the injured half demon, he failed to see Mika retrieved the Tetsusaiga. She lifted the rusty sword, noticing that it had not transformed for her as it had for Inuyasha.

"Well, at least it's a weapon," she thought. She moved toward the imposing demon. Unlike the last demon she killed, the leader was huge. Built like a bear crossed with a Brahma bull on two legs, his imposing hulk towered over her. Mika looked at the demon as he continued to pummel Inuyasha. "Hey, Ugly!" she yelled.

With his fist mere inches from Inuyasha's face; the demon stopped and looked at Mika. "Huh? Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah, that's right! I'm talking to you, Ugly! Get away from my Uncle!" she yelled brandishing the rusty Tetsusaiga.

As an amused look crossed his face, the demon got up from the ground, advancing toward Mika. "You and what army?" he replied as he advanced toward the girl.

Inuyasha carefully turned his battered body toward Mika and saw her brandish the Tetsusaiga in its rusty form. "No! She thinks it's a real katana!" he thought. He struggled to regain his footing as he yelled with what strength he had left, "Mika, Run! You don't know what you're doing!"

Looking past the advancing demon, Mika replied, "Just shut up and let me protect you!" In an instant, the Tetsusaiga transformed from the rusty katana into its demonic form, shocking Inuyasha, the demon and Mika at its sudden actions. With a sly smile playing across her lips, Mika moved the transformed Tetsusaiga to get a feel for the blade.

Inuyasha moved to a kneeling position, slowly regaining his strength. As he looked at his niece with the fully transformed Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha remembered a similar conversation he'd had with Kagome during the initial fight with Sesshomaru over the Tetsusaiga. Once he was at least upright, Inuyasha took a few tentative steps toward Mika before falling to his knees again. "Damn it! I can't go to her aid," he thought as he punched his fist into the ground, helpless to just watch.

Mika saw how her uncle had tried to come to her aid, but felt even more determined to protect him. She eyed the advancing demon as he circled her, well out of reach of the Tetsusaiga's blade. "Are you afraid of little old me?" She asked, taunting the demon to attack, knowing that her inner strength came from her swordsmanship.

As the bull demon took in the new development of the fully transformed Tetsusaiga, he laughed. "So you have a bigger sword. Big deal! I'll still rip you apart!" He charged as Mika moved into a defensive position. Mika kept her eyes on the advancing demon as she notices a strange, yet vaguely familiar scent assailing her nose. Quickly she followed the smell to the blade in her hands and recognized the scent as that of the wind. Looking closer at the blade, Mika was able to discern the whirling demonic aura, which reminded her of the ever blowing wind of her high mountain desert home. Once she realized that this demonic aura was the cause of the destruction of the two earlier demons a wicked smile crossed her face.

The charging demon screeched to a halt a few feet from Mika once he saw the smile cross her face. "What could this mean? Has she tapped into the sword's powers or is it just clever rues?" he thought as the look of hesitation entered his actions.

"What? Are you scared of me still? I'm fresh meat for the slaughter and yet you hesitate. Do I scare you with this blade?" Mika jabbed and taunted the demon, "Come at me! I've not got all day!"

Inuyasha regained his footing, leaned heavily against Ryuu, who had moved to his side, as he watched the battle unfold before him. "She'll get herself killed is she's not careful," he thought as he caught the scent of the wind scar. "Huh? It can't be! She's tapped into the Tetsusaiga's demonic powers and a hell of a lot faster than I first did." Anticipating the pending destruction of the demon, Inuyasha slowly moved toward the relative safety of the trees, all the while keeping a cautious eye on Mika.

As Inuyasha slowly left the battle field, Mika breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd best get this over with so that I can get him patched up. I can smell his blood from here and it's almost overwhelming me, it's so intoxicating," Mika thought as she turned back to the last demon. "Okay, Ugly! I've had enough of your stalling tactics. Either you attack me now, or I'm taking the fight to you. Your choice, but you only have until I count to five."

The look of confusion and hesitations still clouded his mind as he tried to decide if he really wanted this or not.

"One…"

"Is this piece of horse flesh worth my life?" he thought.

"Two…"

"Is gaining the favor of Naraku really worth this?" he continued to ponder.

"Three… Vier…"

"What will my life be worth after I defeat this wench? Who's to say that mutt and mangy wolf won't track me down and kill me!" he pondered furiously trying to find an answer.

"Five… Wind Scar!"

Shocked out of his thoughts the demon screamed "You missed 'four' you Wench! No fair!"

As the claws of the 'Wind Scar' streaked toward the demon, a sly smile crossed her lips as she replied, "Alls fair in love and war. You just didn't hear me say it in a language you understand!"

The demon disintegrated as the demonic claws of the 'Wind Scar' sliced into his body. Screams of pain echoed through the field to die on the wind. Mika looked at Inuyasha as she caught sight of an observer in a tree not far from her wounded uncle. She sprinted toward Inuyasha as the observer leapt toward the half demon. "Move and die a horrible death!" Mika screamed as she screeched to a halt between the two men.

"Hey! Point that thing somewhere else, Mika! I'm not going to hurt him. Not yet anyways!" Koga growled as he glared daggers at the injured hanyou. Taking in the look of his niece he noticed her demonic transformation which, he realized, confirmed his sister's suspicions. He saw her markings and shook his head. "You were right Akane. She does take after her father," he thought then his gaze traveled down her body as a scowl crossed his face. "Why the hell are you wearing that mongrel's haori? Where are your clothes?!" Koga demanded as he saw Inuyasha's Robe of the Fire Rat cover her lithe frame.

Mika glanced at her body, blushed a little as Inuyasha moved to place a hand on her shoulder. "Her clothes were completely shredded after being attacked by Kagura. I had to use what I could to stop her bleeding. Not like I have to explain anything to you, Mangy Wolf!"

Within seconds the two males stood nose to nose, hackles raised, knuckles cracked and tempers flared. "I saw you almost kill her with your sword Mutt-Face! What were you thinking?!"

"At least I was able to get to her before she drowned, Mangy-Wolf! Where were you? For all your talk of amazing speed it sure took you long enough to find us!"

Koga stood back a second as he replied, "I was stuck baby sitting your brother and giving false trails for him to follow. Besides, I figured that she'd be safe with you, until I caught your scent of blood, then I beat feet here as fast as I could."

"You damn fool! You led him right to her!" Inuyasha screamed, "What were you thinking?"

"Huh?"

Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing to the amazement of the trio. He'd watched the whole scene from a nearby tree, from her demonic transformation to the fight and her wielding of the Tetsusaiga.

"It did not reject her. Is it because of her human blood and her desire to protect Inuyasha that she was able to wield the blade?" he thought. Sesshomaru had eluded the wolf once he'd been able to catch her blood scent on the wind, from the night before. He'd witnessed Inuyasha pulling her from the water and silently followed them to the shelter.

Sesshomaru stood watch a fair distance thought out the night, contemplating his next move. He'd noticed the large demonic horse move to the entrance of the helter and stand guard as well. "What is this? He emanates a demonic aura, and yet it's not like that of Entei. How does he fit into this picture?"

Earlier that morning…

As morning came Sesshomaru was briefly startled by Mika's screams of pain. His eyes flashed open as her raging demonic aura awoke. As she raced away from the shelter in a blind panic, he'd silently followed her, matching her speed easily.

When Sesshomaru saw her transformation he felt a bit of her pain in his heart. "What is this that I feel? Am I feeling guilty for watching her suffer alone when I should be there to be comforting her?" He'd moved closer toward the quacking girl, smelling the salt of her tears and the anguish as it emanated from her body. Before he'd been able to move any closer Inuyasha arrived and encompassed her with his arm and body, comforting the tormented girl.

As the scene unfolded and he saw Mika's face his eyes widened in a bit of shock. "So this is my daughter! How could I not notice this? Why has she been kept from me?" With thoughts of betrayal coursing through his mind, Sesshomaru made his way toward the group, just as the dozen demons blocked his way.

Sesshomaru moved closer to the fight, noticing that they had not noticed him. As the fight ended, he noticed that Mika handled herself fairly decent. "With a little more training, she'd be a worthy opponent." He thought. Once the attention of Mika and Inuyasha was on the wolf demon, Sesshomaru made his presence known.

As Inuyasha yelled at Koga that he'd led Sesshomaru to Mika, Mika's head snapped toward the far side of the clearing. She saw Sesshomaru enter, striding toward them. With the Tetsusaiga still in her hands, she began to shake with fear, recalling her dream from the night before.

Finally noticing the great dog demon lord, Koga and Inuyasha moved to intercept Sesshomaru, as they smelled the fear emanating from Mika. Inuyasha's strength returned at a faster clip as he gently retrieved the Tetsusaiga from Mika's trembling grasp. He moved with Koga into a defensive line in front of Mika with the Tetsusaiga held before him. "Get on Ryuu and get out of here!" Inuyasha said to her as Sesshomaru came closer.

"But…"

"Do what he said!" Koga interjected. "We'll distract him enough for you to escape. The others are north of here, near a volcanic plain. We'll follow as soon as we can."

"But…What about you!"

With cocky smiles across their faces, they replied in unison, "We'll catch up. Now Go!"

Mika slide her hands into Ryuu's thick silken mane, entwining her fingers into the long strands. In a flash, she had used the momentum of a spring and leapt onto the colt's back. Taking the reins into one hand and leaving the other in the colt's mane she looked at the scene before her.

Seeing that Mika was safely on Ryuu's back, Inuyasha smacked the horse on the rump with the Tetsusaiga, causing the demonic horse to jump in surprise. "Get out' a here!" Inuyasha yelled as he turned his full attention back to Sesshomaru.

Without hesitation, Mika turned Ryuu toward the direction given and spurred him into a gallop. Taking a few tentative steps on the ground, Ryuu leapt into the air in a full gallop, racing toward the remainder of the group. Mika's mind raced to thoughts of what she felt for her father.

"He's an imposing figure, strikingly handsome but imposing as well. This encounter feels different from the last time I saw him though. Then again, a lot has changed since that encounter. What am I thinking…Maybe that's my problem? Everyone is telling me what to do, that they're not letting me make up my own mind. I'll give them credit at trying to keep me protected, but I need to find out for myself what he'd do," she thought. With grim determination, Mika had made up her mind, "The next encounter, I'll meet with him and then deal with the consequences."

As Mika made her escape, Koga and Inuyasha faced her father. "Go back to your lands, Sesshomaru. There's nothing for you here," Inuyasha yelled.

"It appears that you're in on keeping her from me as well, little brother. How long have you known about my daughter?"

Indignantly Inuyasha replied, "I barely found out myself. If there's anyone with keeping secrets it's that mangy wolf!"

"Hey, Mutt! Whose side are you on?" Koga glared at Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru turned his attention to the wolf demon. "So, you're her brother. I should have pieced it together sooner. How is Akane?"

"You bastard!" Koga spit out between clenched jaws. "She died giving birth to my niece, no thanks to you. We were never able to get all the poison out of her system after you attacked her! How could you even stand yourself after what you did?"

"I'd say I'm sorry for your loss, but it doesn't even compare to what you hid from me. Why…Why did you keep…her…Mika…from me?"

Contemplating his answer, Koga noticed a hint of sadness emanating from the powerful demon, keeping any response he'd come up with unsaid. "Has he changed? Or is this still the dangerous monster that Akane feared would kill Mika?" he thought.

Growing impatient with the wolf, Sesshomaru glared at Koga as his hand moved toward Tokijin. "I demand an answer, Wolf!"

Koga cracked his knuckles as he replied, "Go to Hell!"

"You first!" In a single fluid motion, Sesshomaru unsheathed Tokijin and charged the duo. Despite his previous battle and barely healed wounds, Inuyasha blocked the attack. Koga moved to strike Sesshomaru who dodged the kick at the last second: he connected solidly with a blow to Koga's chest, sending the wolf flying into the air. Inuyasha swung at his brother who avoided the strike and countered with a strike of his own. The trio battled for what seemed to be a few hours, as to let Mika make her escape. After an actual half hour of fighting, trading insults and reaching the conclusion of this fight being a draw, Sesshomaru took his leave of the two fighters.

Both Inuyasha and Koga stared at the retreating form of Sesshomaru as he headed in the direction Mika rode. "He's going to kill her! We'd best get there ahead of him!" Koga yelled as he took off in a whirlwind.

Inuyasha sheathed his blade as a low growl escaped his throat. "How can this be happening? I need to protect her." Oblivious to his injuries, which were healing quickly, he leapt into the trees, bounding from tree to tree following Koga's whirlwind.


	15. Reconnecting With Friends

**Reconnecting With Friends**

Volcanic plain of Totosai's home…

As Mika reached the others, she noticed for the first time how much the group had grown. In addition to Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo, there was a grizzled old man on a three-eyed bull and two young men dressed in furs, relishing some of Kagome's stash of food. At the smell of the cooked ramen noodles, Mika's stomach growled. "I'd prefer steak and potatoes to ramen, but I'm not going to be picky. I'm pretty starved," she thought.

Ryuu cantered up to group, eyeing the group in general, sensing a mixture of emotions from them. He drew to a nervous stop a few yards from the group, pawing the ground as Mika slid from his back.

Miroku noticed the horse and rider approach. He recognized the Robe of the Fire Rat on the female demon as well as the demonic aura. He stood to defend the group because of the threat he felt coming from the two.

Kagome looked at Miroku as he moved into a defensive position. "What's wrong Miroku?"

"We've got company." The group looked past Miroku to the female demon and horse slowly approaching. Kagome's heart went into her throat as she recognized Inuyasha's haori.

"How could he betray me like this? Who is this girl anyways?" she thought as tears sprung into her eyes.

Once Mika saw the monk take a defensive stance before the group, she realized that he didn't recognize her. "Great. I'd forgotten about my transformation. Well here goes nothing!" she thought. "Hey! What does someone have to do to get some food around here?" she called out, approaching the group at an even, unhurried and non-threatening pace. When she was more clearly visible to the group she saw a look of recognition cross most of the group's faces.

Once Kagome got a better look at the approaching female demon she gasped. Her eyes widened in shock at the facial markings of the demon. "It can't be!" she said quietly as she saw a female Sesshomaru approach.

Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu, getting ready to attack. She recognized the markings on the young demon's arms as those of Mika's arm after she killed the bandits. "So, this is her demon form. What is she capable of? I'd best keep an eye on her," she thought.

A slow smile crossed Miroku's face as he took in the nearly naked demon, with her slender yet muscular arms and legs. As his eyes moved to her face, he noticed the blue eyes, firm lips and high cheek bones. Her tan complexion complimented the red haori that covered her from shoulder to mid thigh as well as her markings.

Seeing the monk with his mouth a gap, Mika smiled slyly as she said, "Miroku, I wasn't kidding about castration, if you don't keep your dirty thoughts off my body!"

The others chuckled softly at Miroku's expense as he tried to explain, "Mika, I was drawn by your beauty. I meant no disrespect. Please forgive me."

Mika reached Miroku and gave him a sly smile as she replied, "Thank you for the compliment. I'd just be careful about how you express it in the future. I'd hate to see what my uncles would do to you if they saw you drooling all over me."

As everyone relaxed once they realized that the demon was in fact a friend. Kagome approached her cousin, feeling relieved as well as upset at herself over her fit of jealousy against her cousin. "So where are Koga and Inuyasha? Why didn't they come back with you?"

Mika quickly filled in the group as to what had happened after being kidnapped by Kohaku and Kagura. She briefly described her befriending of the demon horse, Ryuu, her flight to freedom, demonic rebirth and concluded with the fight of the dozen demons. "When Sesshomaru made his presence known, they had me leave. I followed the directions Koga gave and got here as quickly as I could," she explained.

"So what happened to your clothes?" Miroku asked, and was promptly rewarded with a bump to the head by Sango.

Blushing mildly, Mika replied, "When Inuyasha and Koga were arguing, he said that they had been ripped to shreds and those that were left he'd used as rags to stop the bleeding. He gave me this to at least stay modest. Now I just wish that I'd grabbed my bag with my clothes in it."

Totosai let out an exaggerated sigh as he said, "I knew the day would come that I'd have to provide you with armor to protect yourself." He pulled a huge burlap bag from near the three-eyed bull. He extracted several pieces of silvery blue armor as well as a black leather top, pants and boots, also accented in the silvery blue. "This armorand clothing comes from a blue dragon's hide and bones. He gave me a fairly decent fight, but it was well worth it. This will protect you from most weapon attacks such as arrows, mace, blades, etc."

Mika examined the armor and leather goods with an experienced eye. She noticed the care of which the armor was constructed and the durability of the leather clothes as well.

Totosai pulled a sheath, equally constructed and ornate as the armor. From the sheath a handle stuck out a little over a foot to end in a circular hilt inlaid with mother-of-pearl in the shape of a crescent moon. He bowed his head as he offered the sheathed sword to Mika. "Please accept this sword and armor as a birthday gift. I'd be honored to know that you're well protected. I know that your mother would appreciate this, as well as your grandfather."

Mika looked at the sheathed sword. Taking it from the grizzled sword smith, she thanked him greatly and inspected the blade. Even in its sheath, the Nueva Luna appeared as a menacing sword at a length of almost 60 inches. Although it was similar to Sounga, Mika hefted the sword as if it were a piece of wood, no heavier than a bag of sugar. Despite its two handed appearance, the Nueva Luna, could be wielded as easily as a rapier, or as it was designed as a hack and slash approach. Mika turned back to Totosai as she said, "I'm grateful for these gifts. Although forgive my curiosity. What type of metal is the sword made of? I know it is not dragon, like the armor."

"The sword was constructed from the fang of your father, but it also contains some remnants of the fang from your wolf pendant, from your mother. It's constructed to protect you from your father if necessary. It is immune to the 'Demon Strike' as well as poison proof and acid resistant," Totosai explained. "We made a promise to protect you, seeing as we're old and not accustomed to fighting anymore; Myoga and I felt that by giving you a means of protection was as good as defending you ourselves."

Mika knelt down and hugged the old sword smith and gathered the armor and clothing. She moved away from the group, deep in thought as to what Totosai had revealed. She donned the armor Totosai had created from dragon bones and hide. The dragon leather top covered her breasts, back and followed the curve of her rib cage, exposing her taught belly as well as her shoulder blades, but also leaving her able to move freely. Once the shoulder guard dragon armor were in place Mika noticed that it protected the cap of her shoulders down to the point of the shoulder blades, upper chest and her back over the hide top.

Mika cursed under her breath as she secured the armor into place, "I should try out as a linebacker for the Packers after this fiasco. What was Totosai thinking when he made this?" She pulled the scaled gauntlets on, noticing that they also allowed for maximum movement in her wrists, but also covered the palm and back of her hand in a protective layer of leather and armor, without covering her fingers. On her lower body Totosai also constructed a pair of jeans of dragon leather that fit like a glove, complementing her strong athletic build. Across her shins, the dragon scale shin guards were strapped into place over a sturdy pair of boots. Mika grabbed the sheath of her sword, strapping it across her back over her right shoulder, leaving the hilt, when sheathed, looking over her shoulder in an ominous manner. As she looked at her sword, Mika gently touched the hilt of the mother of pearl inlaid crescent moon and the rune marks on the blade. It pulsated under her tender touch, accepting her as its wielder. After she pulled her knee length strawberry blond hair into a pony tail, she returned the sword to its sheath on her back. With a stern look on her face, Mika returned to the group, ready for the imminent battle with her father.

Forest, near the edge of the volcanic plain…

As Sesshomaru advanced northward to the volcanic plain, his thoughts turned to a conversation centuries in the past. It was on a snowy night of a lunar eclipse as he watched his father, bleeding heavily from wounds he received in battle with Ryuukotsai.

"Have you some one to protect?"

"Protect… The answer is no. I, Sesshomaru, have no need of such."

Looking back, Sesshomaru was beginning to understand what his late father had meant. "I'm beginning to feel protective of this person who looks like me. Where have these thoughts come from? I've never felt the need to protect anyone before. Maybe Rin has rubbed off some of my rough exterior to show that it's okay to have feelings. I'd just not let them show, or else they can be used against me. Naraku has already shown that he's not above kidnapping and murder of the innocent."

Once he entered the edge of the plain he noticed that it was near Totosai's home. A brief smile crossed his lips as he thought, "It would figure that he's involved in this. I should thank him for this treachery."

Back on the volcanic plain…

Miroku glanced at Mika as she slid next to Kagome. He looked away, toward the incoming and bickering Inuyasha and Koga, and then looked back at Mika with a look of shock on his face. His jaw dropped like a ton of bricks. If this were a Bugs Bunny cartoon, he'd be bug-eyed and drooling, not saying that he wasn't in his mind. When Sango spied his reaction, a swift slap to the face regained his composure as he gently rubbed his injured check with a smile on his face. Mika looked on in indifference to the reactions of the monk, although when her newly found and bickering uncles spied her, they also had the same reaction as Miroku, until they realized that it was their own flesh and blood that they had ogled.

As they approached, Inuyasha demanded, "Where did you get that armor and sword? And what makes you think that we would allow you to get into harms way to where they would be of use to you?" as he came within inches of her face.

"I was given this by Totosai and Myoga for your information. And I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. I've done a fairly decent job of it so far, thank you very much. Besides that, they figured that since my demonic heritage has been released, that my father will come for me and that they wanted to help me protect myself from him. Moreover, I saved your backside earlier today and what thanks do I get for it, Inuyasha. You're not the boss of me!" Mika replied, trying to rein in what little control of her temper she had left.

Koga pushed Inuyasha aside, also getting into Mika's face, as he put in his two cents worth, "I promised your mother on her death bed that I would protect you from harm if those two couldn't. Now shut up and let me protect you like I said I would, alright."

"I'm well aware that you both are concerned about what my father will do when he meets me, and I'm fine with that when the time comes, until then, we have other things that we need to do before that happens. I for one hate being left out of the fight. Seeing as I've had to assist in the dispatching of various demons, and now that my parentage has been confirmed, I'm more of a target now than I was before in my human state. You two can't protect me every waking moment," Mika responded, moving toward Ryuu as she let soak into their thick skulls what she had said.

As she ran her hands over the colt's neck, trying to regain her control on the boiling temper, Ryuu's head came up with a snap. He started to paw the ground, as his ears pitched forward. Mika picked up on the restlessness of the horse and looked in the direction he gazed. On the far side of the volcanic plain, near the tree line, Mika spied the tall white haired figure moving his way methodically toward the group. Koga and Inuyasha both caught his scent at the same time and whirled toward him, placing themselves between Sesshomaru and Mika.

Sesshomaru gazed at his daughter, mesmerized by her strong, yet feminine resemblance to her grandfather, and yet he saw a lot of her mother in her features as well. As he slowly moved toward her, he barely acknowledged Koga and Inuyasha as he approached. Both had moved into a defensive position to prevent his progression toward Mika. Inuyasha said, "You're not going anywhere near her, Sesshomaru. Just leave her alone."

Sesshomaru ignored his brother, looking instead to Mika as he replied, "If my blood does run in your veins, then call them off or I will be forced to strike them down." His gaze never wavered from her face as he memorized every detail of her markings, and expressions.

"Koga, Inuyasha, let him pass. I will not let you die like this," she replied, moving toward her father, also locking his gaze with hers, trying to read his soul through his amber eyes. She saw a storm of emotions; however they were clouded in mist, as if he was trying to suppress them from even himself.

Kagome placed her hand on Mika's shoulder as she asked, "Are you sure that you can handle a meeting with your father? What if he tries to kill you?"

Mika continued her vigil on the trio as she recalled the dream of her battle with Sesshomaru earlier that morning. "I've seen my death at his hands. However I do not fear it." As Kagome contemplated her response they both turned back to the battle field anticipating the impending fight.

Despite Mika's request, Koga and Inuyasha continued to bar the way for Sesshomaru to approach to his daughter. "So be it," Sesshomaru replied as he pulled the Tokijin from his sash. He slashed at first Inuyasha, then Koga, trying to make his way toward his daughter. Both dodged the deftly wielded sword as they tried to protect their niece, against her wishes. Mika looked on in horror as her father tried to kill her uncles in an attempt to reach her. As the fight continued, Mika's blood began to boil, filling her with rage. She unsheathed Nueva Luna and charged at the group, feeling an immense power race from her into the sword. Her blue eyes changed into vivid green as her fangs and claws elongated, silver highlights streaked her hair as a war cry slipped from her lips. On nimble feet, she reached the fight within seconds and began to parry the strikes from not only Tokijin, but the Tetsusaiga and Koga's claws as well. She whirled with blinding speed, which matched Sesshomaru and Koga, but with the immense power of her dog demon blood. As her fury at being ignored by all participants in the fight grew exponentially, the blade of Nueva Luna began to glow a menacing blue aura. Mika jumped into the air, landing in the center of the fight, driving the blade of her sword into the ground as 'Arctic Dragon' reverberated over the battle field and unleashing a horrific wave of blue energy. The blast threw the combatants back at least thirty feet from where Mika had struck. She alone stood next to her sword, her fury ebbed and her appearance returned to normal as she withdrew Nueva Luna from the ground.

As Koga and Inuyasha lay unconscious near Miroku and Sango and Sesshomaru looking on from a distance, having landed on his feet, Mika sheathed her sword and moved toward Ryuu. The great horse knelt down on one leg, as if bowing to his rider, allowing Mika to get on his back, as Kagome approached her.

"Where are you going? Are you not going to go and talk to your father?" she asked.

Mika looked at Sesshomaru as he returned her gaze. "Not at this time. I've too much to think about before I speak with him. With this demonstration of power, he needs to reassess his approach to me as I do him. I need to sort out my feelings and figure out what happened." She looked at her unconscious uncles and asked Kagome, "Could you direct me toward this well you mentioned when I first got here? I need to clear my head and think about what happened."

Kagome looked back at the group as she contemplated her answer. "Will you tell Inuyasha that I left for home? I'm sure he'll understand." Mika helped swing her cousin onto Ryuu's back. Ryuu nuzzled Mika's knee, as she urged him toward Kaede's village. After a few steps, he was airborne and moving at a fast clip, leaving the group in astonishment of Mika's battle skills, speed and agility.

As the demonic horse disappeared into the setting sun with its precious cargo, Sesshomaru replayed the battle in his mind. "What speed, grace and accuracy that she possesses. She is truly remarkable. I'm certain that I also felt a very strong raw demonic aura emanating from her as well. This aura reminds me strongly of the raw demon state of Inuyasha when he's in full demon, but under more control. I've a lot to think about. I need to be able to talk to her." He looked at the unconscious duo as he mentally reviewed the fight. As evenly matched as he was to the tag team fighting styles, he was astounded at Mika's ability to deflect all three persons at the same time without injury to her or them. "I wish those two had not interfered with my desire to speak with her. Now, I fear she sees me as a blood thirsty monster, only out for myself. I think that I know myself enough to know that I would not hurt her, and yet I'm not sure how she would react to me either. This is getting more complex than I thought." He turned to leave the plain, heading back to his young charge and the annoying toad demon.

Inuyasha placed a gentle hand on his head as he groaned in pain as he asked, "What happened? Where's that scrawny wolf and Mika?"

Shippo landed on his chest holding up his fingers as he asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?" Inuyasha looked at the young fox demon and pushed him off his chest.

"Hey, I was just trying to help, Inuyasha. You needn't be so harsh with me," Shippo countered as he regained his footing.

From a nearby stream, Miroku was able to retrieve a bucket of water, to clean the wounds of the two men. As he was preparing to wash the dirt from Koga's wounds, Inuyasha grabbed the bucket and threw it in the unconscious Koga's face, waking him up rather quickly.

"What was that for?!" Koga roared as he jumped to his feet, shaking the water from his head. He turned his indignant look to Inuyasha who responded with a smug look of his own.

"I was making sure you were still alive, you scrawny wolf," Inuyasha replied as he handed the bucket back to Miroku. He looked around the group, quickly counting heads as he went. "Where are Mika and Kagome? Did Sesshomaru take off with them? Are they in danger? Where are they????" He demanded as he grabbed Miroku's cloak and started shaking him.

After a swift few blows to Inuyasha's head, from Miroku's staff, Inuyasha released the monk's robes as Miroku replied, "They got on Ryuu and left for the Bone-Eater's well. I think that Mika intends to return to the modern era to think about all the events that have transpired during her time here. I would kindly appreciate it if you would not take your anger out on me." Inuyasha started to pace around, thinking about what Miroku had said.

Koga looked at Inuyasha, as he said, "I'm going to follow Sesshomaru and make sure that he's not going after either Kagome or Mika." Without another word, he sprinted toward the retreating scent of the elder dog demon and vanished into the surrounding woods. Ginta and Hakkaku followed their leader as all that remained was a cloud of dust.

Sango slid next to Miroku as she asked, "Should we follow Kagome and Mika back to Kaede's village? I'm sure that is where Inuyasha will be headed shortly, seeing as Kagome left without his permission and his possessive nature toward her."

Miroku looked at Inuyasha as he replied, "I'm sure he's as worried about Kagome as I am at Mika's hands. Despite their relationship as cousins, that display of raw power we just witnesses was very impressive and not to be underestimated. If she had wanted too, Mika could have easily killed all three with that blast. However her concern for all three as family prevented her full onslaught of that same power."

"I agree. I watched Sesshomaru after the shock wave struck and he was even a bit concerned about this development. I'm sure that the reason she left was because she needed to think and understand what happened. We should not judge her for what that. There have been many times that anyone of us has done something like this. Take for instance Inuyasha's demonic blood overtaking him and slaughtering those bandits, my theft of the Tetsusaiga for Naraku in exchange for my brother's life, Kagome being overtaken by Tsubaki and forced to shoot Inuyasha, and for your womanizing which has caused us numerous headaches. Each of these should, in itself, have caused the others of the group to hate, even despise the perpetrator. Yet we've grown stronger as a team because of them. The same should be said for Mika. She's no different than I was when I first accepted the opportunity to join with this group. I understand how she feels," Sango remarked as the two began to move in the general direction of Kaede's village, leaving Inuyasha to his thoughts. Shippo and Kirara followed the two, also reflecting on the battle and amazed at the amount of power Mika displayed in her abilities with Nueva Luna.

Lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha followed the group at a bit of a distance. "What happened? At first we were fighting to protect her, and then she launches an attack of her own to stop us from fighting. How can this be happening? We were only trying to keep her from being killed. She's such a fool. Doesn't she realize what would have happened to her if he had been able to get to her? I've some choice words for her when I see her next. I may not be her 'boss,' but she will listen to what I have to say," he thought as he caught up to the group. "Hey, let's get going. I want to see if we can beat them to the well and stop her from leaving." With that said, he began to leap as if on wings from tree to tree, far ahead of the group. Kirara transformed into her big demonic cat form as Miroku and Sango swung on her back. Shippo sat on her furry head as the big cat took off, following Inuyasha toward Kaede's village.


	16. To the Present or Stuck in the Past?

**To the Present, or Stuck in the Past?**

Near Bone Eater's well out side Inuyasha's Forest…

At the well, Mika patted Ryuu's neck, speaking gently too him as she removed the make shift hackamore. "I need for you to stay around here for when I return, Ryuu. Just don't let yourself get caught." The colt head butted Mika gently as he acknowledged her request. He turned toward the clearing and moved slowly away from the well, munching grass as he went.

Mika watched the horse as she thought about her time with the injured paint and how her friendship to him seemed almost unreal. The fact that where she comes from that horses don't fly spooked her initially in regards to Ryuu, but she embraced him despite his differences. She turned back to the well, as Kagome sat on the edge, contemplating the next steps in their journey.

"Are you sure you want to try this? I don't know what will happen," Kagome told her cousin, as she swung her legs into the well.

Mika slid next to her on the edge as she replied, "We'll never know until we try." She shouldered the hackamore, and took Kagome's hand as they fell into the well. As they entered, the vine covered stone walls were replaced with a black void with white lights, similar to a starry night sky. Within seconds, they landed on a dirt floor. As the sounds and scents of Modern Era Japan assaulted Mika's nose, Kagome announced they were back in the present. Both girls began to climb the ladder from the well, entering the well house and its closed doors.

Kagome pushed the doors open to allow them out, then closed them again as Mika entered the square of the temple shrine. Mika looked over the shrine as Kagome took her hand and gently guided her toward the house. "My family is going to freak out at this," Kagome thought as she led her cousin through the square to her home. "How am I going to explain this to my mother, to grandpa and Sota?" Kagome continued to ponder as they entered her home.

Present day Tokyo…

Midori looked up from cleaning as Kagome entered the living room. "I didn't expect you back until next week. Why are you home so soon? Did something happen to your cousin?" she asked, not realizing that Mika stood behind Kagome.

"Uh, mom, I'd like you to meet cousin Mika," Kagome replied as she moved out from in front of Mika. Mika moved into the living room, looking rather out of place in her armor in the modern home.

Midori gasped a bit before moving toward her long absent niece. "Mika, we have been so worried about you. Welcome to our home," she said as she embraced her niece. "You've changed since the last photos we've seen," remarking on the changes of her features from the older pictures, as well as her clothing choice.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Aunt Midori. I've been through so much in the past week that I'd just like to take a shower and relax a bit before I explain what happened. I'm sure that Kagome can fill you in," Mika replied. With the adrenaline rush of the fight wearing off quickly, she placed a hand on the nearby chair to steady herself, not yet fully aware of neither her exhausted state nor the amount of energy her attack had drained. Kagome took her cousin's hand and lead her upstairs to her room. Together they removed the armor and protective clothing, carefully laying each piece across Kagome's recently cleaned desk. As Mika realized her duffle bag was still in Feudal Japan, she cursed her thoughtlessness in having left it behind with all her remaining clothes.

Kagome said, "I have some extra clothes you can borrow until we get either your duffle bag back or we go shopping. Which would you prefer?"

"I'd just like to take a bath right now, if you don't mind. Would you please just leave the clothes in the bathroom for me? All I need is a pair of shorts and a tank top if you have them," Mika remarked as she moved slowly toward the bathroom. Kagome nodded as she quickly gathered the requested clothes and a couple of towels and followed Mika to the bathroom. She left the clothes on the sink as Mika stripped the remaining clothes from her aching body. She stepped into the shower and sighed in relief as the warm soothing water hit her aching body.

As the water rinsed the collective layers of dirt form her hair, Mika reflected on the adventures she endured in Feudal Japan, as well as the revelation of her parentage. She leaned against the back of the shower, letting the water flow down her body as she continued her deep thoughts. Mika looked at the stripes across the back of her hands and forearms as she thought, "What am I? Who am I? Where do I belong? Here in the present or in the Feudal Era?" As she asked the questions, she racked her brain trying to figure out the missing answers, which did not come to mind easily. After Mika finished her shower, she dressed in Kagome's extra tank top and shorts, dried her hair and relaxed on Kagome's bed. Once her head hit the pillow, her thoughts focused on her questions and for that, her lack of answers. She drifted slowly and deeply into troubled dreams.

Once Mika was out of the shower, Kagome quickly showered and changed into some comfortable clothes. She checked on her cousin and left her sound asleep on her bed. "It's not like I ever get to sleep on it any more. At first it was Inuyasha, now you. Who knows who will show up next to pilfer my bed?" Kagome thought as she went looking for her mother. As Midori moved around the kitchen fixing a home cooked meal for Kagome and Mika, Kagome walked in and sat down at the table.

"So you and your cousin had a good time over there? She looks well," Midori commented as she began slicing vegetables for a spicy chicken curry.

Kagome sighed as she replied, "She's been on a rollercoaster of a time there. I feel bad for Mika, losing one set of parents, just to find out that her birth mother is also gone and her father is a complete jerk. Luckily Inuyasha and Koga are her uncles, so I guess that's not too bad. It could be worse I guess."

"Is that the reason she was dressed so strangely, because of her demonic heritage?" Midori inquired.

As she contemplated the answer, Kagome thought of all her cousin had been through. "It's more of protection from her father and others who might do her harm than for looks. I'm just not sure of how she's going to take being the daughter of a powerful demon. She does resemble her father after all," Kagome reflected aloud.

A worried look crossed Midori's face at Kagome's comment. "What do you mean? Has she changed more than just her clothing?"

"Mom, she has facial markings and pointed ears. How could you have missed them?" Kagome replied in shock.

Midori returned to her cooking as she replied, "Her face was awfully dirty and I'm so used to seeing Inuyasha that I guess it didn't affect me as much as if it was something out of the ordinary. Now, would you please help me finish this before she wakes up? I'd like to have this ready within the next hour or so. Do you think Inuyasha will be here also?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think his tongue is up to curry just yet. However; knowing him, Inuyasha'll probably be here shortly," Kagome replied, wondering if he was okay after the battle with Sesshomaru.

Feudal Era, Japan near the Bone Eater's well…

As Kagome answered her mother's inquiries, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara entered the clearing of the Bone Eater's well. They spied Ryuu off in the distance munching on grass to his hearts content.

"I'm going in. I should be back in a day or so. I promise to bring Mika back, even if I have to with her kicking and screaming," Inuyasha said as he leapt onto the edge of the well.

Miroku looked onto his friend as he asked, "Is that such a wise move? Considering her temper, which, might I add is similar in nature to yours?"

"What do you mean, Miroku? You don't think that I can handle her after that display of demonic power? She's just a young whelp that needs to be taught a lesson," he stated confidently.

Sango and Miroku sighed as they realized he'd not understood what Miroku had tried to say. Because of her father's strong presence in her blood, she would not be easily taken like a young misbehaving child as simple as Inuyasha would like to think. They bid their farewells to Inuyasha, and returned to Kaede's village to tell the elderly priestess of Mika's parentage.

Inuyasha traveled through the well to the present and cleared the edge of the well in a single bound. When he exited the well house, he caught Mika's scent as the wind blew past Kagome's window. He traveled on fleet feet to the house and entered the home as if he'd lived there his whole life. As he entered the house, he quickly sniffed the air and found the horrid smell of curry. Recalling his previous experiences with curry, he quickly moved up the stairs, avoiding the kitchen as much as possible. Inuyasha reached the top of the stairs, and saw Kagome's bedroom door ajar. He pushed it aside and saw Mika lying upon Kagome's bed, so deep in sleep that she was completely oblivious to her surroundings.

"How can she look so serene when her life has been turned upside down? I guess I can understand where she's coming from. When I was pinned to the tree by Kikyo, I was in a serene sleep as well, despite the confusing circumstances of which caused her to shoot me," Inuyasha thought as he sat near the bed, his back to Kagome's wall and the Tetsusaiga against his shoulder. He watched over his niece as she slept, knowing that between him and Koga, they were the closest 'blood' relatives that she had who didn't want to kill her. As he kept silent vigil, he slowly drifted off to sleep as well, letting his weary body rejuvenate.

As the time for dinner approached, Kagome made her way upstairs for Mika. When she entered the room, she spied Inuyasha leaning against the wall and Mika still sound asleep on her bed. "I wonder when he got here," Kagome thought as she smiled, "They've both have had a rough day, and they need their rest. I hate waking either of them, but they need to regain their strength quickly." She gently prodded Inuyasha who awoke quickly and had him leave the room before she awoke her cousin.

Kagome gently shook Mika as she tried to awaken her cousin. In a flash, Mika's eyes flew open and she reached for a non existent knife from under the pillow. When Mika realized where she was, Kagome had moved back toward her desk, wanting to avoid bodily harm at her cousin's hands. "Mika, you're in the present, at the shrine. You're safe from harm," Kagome said to her as she tried to get her cousin to relax.

"I thought I smelled another presence here, other than yours. A male… dog demon…Inuyasha. Where is he? Why did he come here?" Mika said, her hackles raised and despite her normal, calm environment, they refused to be lowered. Her experiences in the past had left her deeply, emotionally scarred and she was very uncertain of her surroundings.

"He's down stairs, getting ready for dinner. I'm sure he was worried about you, seeing as your anger at him, Koga and your father. He just probably wanted to make sure that you were okay," Kagome explained. She moved to sit on the bed next to her cousin. "What's the matter? You've not said much since we've been back. If it's about you clothes, I'm sure Inuyasha would be more than happy to go back for them."

Mika signed as she contemplated her response. "It's not the clothes, Kagome. It's me. I don't know who I am anymore. When I came here, I was Mika Jones from the United States visiting family in Japan who had just recently lost the only parents I've ever known. Now I'm Mika the inu-ookami hanyou whose family is trying to kill each other. I've been told my father will try and kill me because of my human blood, which resulted in being 'thrown away' into a well on the hopes it would lead me to safety. Yet my wolf demon uncle claims it was my mother's dying wish for me to be safe from my father, and my half dog demon uncle didn't know that I even existed. I'm pretty messed up right now. I just need to sort out what happened and get things set right in my mind before I can face any of my family, whether by blood or not."

"So what do you plan on doing now?" Kagome asked.

Mika looked at her cousin as she said, "I'm going back to Idaho for a week or two so I can get my head together. I need to take care of things there before I return here permanently. Hopefully I can get a flight out of here quickly. I know my return ticket didn't have a set return date so I should be able to leave tonight."

"Well, are you going to at least have some dinner before you leave? Mom worked hard in making this dinner for you, she would be crushed if you didn't have some," Kagome explained.

Mika looked around Kagome's room as she said, "I'm about half starved. I've not had much to eat for the last few days. I just don't want to have to put up with Inuyasha while I'm eating. Do you think Aunt Midori will have a problem with me taking my meal up here? That is if you don't mind."

"I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem. I'll explain you're not feeling to good just yet. Although considering your recent adventures and battle, I would not want to eat with my family either. I'll be back in a few with some food," Kagome explained and then hurried down the stairs to the kitchen.

Once Kagome left her room, Mika continued to search her room for her back pack. "Without my backpack, I can't leave!" she thought. "It has my passport, all of my money, and my return ticket home. Where is it?" She continued to look around Kagome's room, when Kagome returned with a tray of food. She placed the steaming bowls of curry with rice onto her bed, as she spied her cousin going through her closet.

"Mika, what are you looking for? I'm sure that I have some spare clothes that you can leave in, just let me get them for you," Kagome said.

Mika looked at her cousin as she replied, "It's not the clothes that I'm worried about. I would be glad to leave in a gunny sack if that was all that was available. I'm looking for my backpack. It has all my stuff in it, my money, passport, return ticket, etc. Without it, I'm stuck here. Do you remember where it was set before you came to the Feudal Era?"

Kagome thought a minute, trying to recall where the elusive backpack went. "I'll go ask mom. I'll explain you needed to get something out of it, to try and keep Inuyasha from knowing what you're up to," Kagome stated, as she again left her room.

A few minutes later, she returned with her head hanging low. "Mom said that she put your backpack in with your clothes. So, I'm afraid it's in Feudal Japan. I'm sorry for this turn of events. I know how much you want to go home for a breather." She picked up her bowl of curry and continued eating.

Mika finished her curry quickly, and then picked up her sword and sheath from the desk. "I'm going to go back and get my bags. I'll just go out the window, through the well to Kaede's village to retrieve my duffle bag and I'll be right back before anyone realizes that I'm gone."

"I'll try my hardest to not let Inuyasha know that you're gone. He's going to be furious you left before he had a chance to talk to you as it is when you go home," Kagome replied.

Mika slung the sword across her back and moved toward the open window as she replied, "Why do you think that I'm leaving my armor here? With it permeated with my scent, it should cover my absence for the brief period of time that I'm gone. I just need to know, from the well, which direction is Kaede's village?" Mika received the directions and also grabbed the hackamore for Ryuu. Not wanting to have a repeat of her first night in Feudal Japan, she knew that by having Ryuu take her to and from the village, she would be safer.

On stealth like feet, Mika slipped onto the roof of the home and jumped to the ground. As she landed on her feet, Mika glanced around the shrine grounds, familiarizing herself with its layout. She moved swiftly across the square to the well house and slid the door open. As she moved inside the well house and slid the door shut, Mika turned toward the well, seeing its ominous black depths in the remaining light of the setting sun as it filtered through the walls. Mika moved to the side of the well, and quickly hopped in before all rational thought escaped her. Within seconds, the starry field was replaced by the brick and vine covered interior announcing her return to Feudal Japan.

She looked up the length of the shaft and thought, "How in hell does Kagome get out of here without a ladder." Then it dawned on her, Inuyasha is normally with her and he could easily get out with little problems. Mika slid the hackamore over her shoulder as she prepared mentally to get out of the well. She found that by jumping from wall to wall, using minuscule foot holds she was able to ascend the well shaft fairly quickly.

Once she had reached the edge of the well shaft she whistled for Ryuu who abandoned his munching of grass to go to his rider. He bumped his head into her chest, as Mika scratched behind his ears. "I've missed you, too. I'd have brought you a carrot or apple but I couldn't get in the kitchen. Let's get my bags then I'll let you have at all the grass you want," she said as she slipped the hackamore over his gentle head. He bowed down to let her slid onto his back and then took her quickly toward Kaede's village at a high lope. Once they had reached the village, she rode directly to Kaede's hut, ignoring the stares of the villagers and whispered murmurs. She understood her appearance was unexpected, seeing as how she was a half demon dressed in rather skimpy attire and a sword, riding a demonic horse. That would cause some rather interesting conversations no matter what era you were in.

Once she reached Kaede's hut, Mika slid off Ryuu's back and entered the hut. Sango, Shippo, and Kaede looked up at Mika as she entered. "What brings ye back here so soon?" Kaede asked, after welcoming her back.

Mika sat next to Sango as she replied, "I came back to retrieve my bags. I'm borrowing some of Kagome's clothes."

"Ah, but your beauty is beyond compare. What a radiant exquisiteness you have," Miroku said, not realizing that he had said it aloud. Mika and Sango both clocked him as he thought about her delicate beauty. "That was worth the sight," he thought. As he leaned against the wall, nursing the sore noggin, Mika searched her duffle bag and found her missing back pack with all her important documents. With a sigh of relief, Mika quickly zipped her bag closed and shouldered the bag for her return trip to the present.

"May I ask why it is so important that you have those bags, besides the clothing?" Sango inquired.

Mika sighed as she replied, "With all that's happened these past few days, I'm going back to my place and time to sort out what happened. I've lost my identity, found a family, although as messed up and dysfunctional as that can be, and I'm really confused. I need to sort out my feelings as to what to do from now on. I don't want to talk to any of my blood ties yet in regards to this. Luckily I've managed to evade Inuyasha to get here, but I'm not sure how long it will last."

Sango looked at the young half demon as she replied, "I understand. After I lost my family at Naraku's castle and my whole village shortly there after I was devastated. It took me a long time to be able to function in any capacity after that. I hope you find what you're looking for. We'll be here when you get back. Just remember you're a part of our group, no matter what anyone says. I would almost say this is a sort of family if you look at it in that way as well, and I'm sure everyone would be more than happy to have you included as part of this family."

Mika hugged the demon slayer as she replied, "I needed that Sango. Kagome basically said the same thing. Now I just need to get back before Inuyasha sniffs me out. I'm sure that he's going to have some choice words for me when I get back and I'm in no mood to deal with them." Miroku and Sango agreed with her as she left.

As Mika left the hut with her duffle bag in hand, Miroku accompanied her outside. He embraced her before she approached Ryuu. "I'm sorry for having let my lecherous side get the best of me. It's just my way of showing you that I like you. I also would welcome you into this dysfunctional family as well," he said as he hugged her, fighting the urge to caress her barely covered rump.

"I'd best get going. Kagome is going to have her hands full if I don't get back soon. Try and explain to Inuyasha my reasoning for leaving, as well as Koga. I know it will hurt their feelings and make it difficult for you guys for a bit, but just remember that I'll be back as soon as I can, at least a week or so. I've got to take care of some personal things at home before I can come back to Japan whether now or Kagome's time permanently," she explained. Before she left his embrace, Mika gave Miroku a quick peck on the cheek and hopped on to Ryuu.

As she wheeled the colt back toward the well, Sango came out, slightly irked and asked, "What was that about? The kiss I mean?"

"I'm not sure. I think she was just showing appreciation for our concern. It meant nothing to me, just a 'good bye' kiss really," he replied.

Sango poked him in the ribs as she replied, "It had better been just a 'good bye' kiss, or you'd have to answer to Inuyasha and Koga, as well as myself. Remember that we're technically engaged, right?"

"Yes, Sango, you're right and I've been honoring that as best as I can, given the circumstances," he replied as he took her hand and kissed it. As Sango, flattered by the kiss, thought that he had changed, Miroku sneaked a quick rub of her backside, which resulted in a slap to the face.

At the Bone Eater's well…

Mika slid off Ryuu's back once she reached the well. As she removed the hackamore, Mika rubbed the colt's elegant neck and scratched behind his ears. "I'll be gone for a little bit, Ryuu. I leave you to watch over my friends while I'm gone. Try not to let them get in to much trouble or danger while I'm away. Stay safe as well," she said as she gave him a final kiss on his forehead. He nuzzled her chest in response.

Mika jumped into the well again as she contemplated her situation and various ways of getting to the airport for her return trip home. Once she arrived in the modern time, she quickly ascended the well through the use of the rope ladder Kagome had placed there previously. As she neared the last three feet, a strong hand gripped her by the shoulder and dragged her those last few feet to the top of the well.

"What in the hell do you thing you're doing? Leaving the house without telling anyone, returning to the past which is full of bandits and demons with barley any thing on! I have half a mind to take you over my knee!" Inuyasha angrily said as he looked his niece in the eye and the fury of his temper and concern for his niece subsiding.

"What do you mean 'barely anything on'? I'm more covered than Kagome!" Mika retorted just as angrily.

"If you needed you bag of clothes so badly, I would have been more than happy to get them for you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

As Mika hung from her shoulder in his grasp, her temper slowly reached the boiling point as she said calmly, "Kindly put me down and get your hands off me. I'm not some young whelp that you can boss around, Inuyasha. I'm a grown woman who can make my own decisions. I needed a break and as you can see I was not injured on my trip to Kaede's village."

When Inuyasha released her shoulder, Mika landed in a crouch on the well house floor. As she spun to regain her footing, she knocked Inuyasha off his feet, which caused him to fall backwards into the well, causing him to curse a blue streak as he fell. With his yelling at her as encouragement, Mika quickly left the well house on fleet feet to Kagome's room with Inuyasha's insults of her parentage trailing behind her. "Wait, I'm not done scolding you yet!" he cried out after her.

Once she had reentered the room, she quickly slid the window shut behind her, blocking his vocalizations following her into the room. Kagome sat on her bed looking over some notes for an upcoming test. She looked up from her homework as she asked, "Why did you shut the window? It's so stuffy in here."

"Inuyasha was waiting for me at the well when I got back and he's not happy with me. How am I going to go home with him hounding me like a convict? I swear that he's part blood hound," Mika cursed at her over protective and annoying uncle.

"That's Inuyasha for you. I know what you mean about his possessiveness. One time, when I first entered the well, purely by accident, I was gone for three days. I was near the well on the third day, wondering if I could go home the same way that I'd shown up there. He was completely different then, only wanting the jewel shard that I had in my possession. When, I think her name was Yura, of the hair demons, accidentally pushed me into the well. I was so glad to be home, that I thought it was all a dream until he came back for me. Inuyasha stated he'd not said that I could go home. After that, I normally tell him when I need to return home and he comes after me anyways. It's kind of sweet on his part, but at times it can get real annoying as well, such as now," Kagome explained. Mika looked at Kagome, appreciative that she had a cousin who understood where she was coming from.

As they continued talking about Inuyasha, he clawed his way back to the top of the well as he thought, "When I get my hands on her, I'm going to teach her not to mess with me! I've had it with her stubborn and bull-headedness. If she wasn't family I'd kill her!" He rushed back to the house, leapt on to the roof outside Kagome's window and hit the closed window with enough force to knock him off the roof. As he lay sprawled on his back in the court yard, Mika and Kagome looked out the window at his disheveled body.

Mika gestured toward his supine figure and exclaimed to Kagome, "What am I going to do with him? I can't move an inch without him sniffing me out!"

Looking at Inuyasha and then back to Mika, Kagome said, "I think Sango gave me some smoke beads that will put his nose out of commission long enough for you to get to the airport and board the plane. We'll just need to protect your sense of smell as well, seeing as dog demon blood runs through you, too."

"Hello? I'm still down here and can hear all you're saying! You're staying right here in Japan if I have to carry you back through the well and seal it up myself," Inuyasha yelled as he slowly got back to his feet. "I don't know what you're planning Mika, but you need to stay here and deal with your new family. I'm not going to let you run off and leave us after we just found you."

"I'm not running away Inuyasha. With all that I've been through within the last week what do you expect me to do? Deal with it as if this is a normal, every day occurrence! I'm still having nightmares about being assaulted when I first got there! Get it through that thick skull of yours, Inuyasha! I'm going home and nothing you can do or say is going to stop me!!!" Mika yelled, as tears flowed down her face. She turned into the room, leaving her back to him as he stood in the courtyard, with a dumbfounded and confused look on his face.

He looked at Kagome as he said in a reserved tone, "How was I to suppose to know what was going on? I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Well, if you'd been paying attention sooner this wouldn't have happened," Kagome replied.

Kagome looked at her cousin as she quickly stripped out of the tank top and shorts to don a pair of black slacks, light colored shirt, socks and hiking boots. Inuyasha looked away as Mika bared her back to the window, not wanting to make the situation any worse.

"Mika, where are you going at this late hour?" Kagome asked, leaving the window to sit on her bed as her cousin changed and Inuyasha to his thoughts.

Mika looked at her cousin as she quickly tied her boots, "I'm going to the airport and flying home. Please give my regards to Aunt Midori. I just need to get away from here while I figure out what I'm going to do. I'll be there for at least a week if not two, seeing as I've got to take care of my home there, all the stuff my parents left, and find my self. Do you have any foundation I can borrow?" Mika requested as she looked at her complexion in the mirror.

"Top desk drawer, next to the pencils. Are you sure you're going to be okay with going home, after all that's happened? I just feel a little uncomfortable leaving you by yourself while you sort things out and make sense of it," Kagome replied.

As Mika acquired the makeup, she quickly applied the foundation to her cheeks and forehead she said, "I'll be fine. I just feel that right now with all that has happened, I need to go back and face my memories of my adoptive parents, to get a chance to mourn them properly. I need to do this before I begin my new life with my newly found biologically dysfunctional family. I hope you understand, Inuyasha, I'm not running away from you, Koga or my father. I need to figure out how to deal with what happened and put my past to rest."

From the window, looking very concerned, Inuyasha replied, "If it means that much to you, go ahead and go home. Just remember, you said you'd come back."

"Kagome, would you call for a cab so that I can be on my way. As for my armor and sword, since they will not fit in my bag, I'll leave them here. If you don't mind, Kagome," Mika said.

"Why do that, I'll give you a lift," Inuyasha suggested.

In unison, Kagome and Mika said, "NO!" Kagome left her room to call the cab, leaving Mika and Inuyasha alone in her room.

"I hope that you figure out what you need to when you get home. We'll miss you around here," Inuyasha said as he moved closer to Mika.

Without hesitation, Mika embraced her uncle, encircling his chest in her arms, as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder and letting the tears flow onto his haori. With a moments hesitation as the shock of the embrace wore off, Inuyasha placed his arms lovingly around her shoulders, and his cheek against her hair. As he breathed in the smell of the shampoo and mixed breed scent, he thought of all she'd been through with him and how her life had been turned upside down in such a short period of time. While he held her in his arms, he said, "Take the time that you need to sort out your life. Just remember we'll be here, waiting for you. I'll admit, I don't want to let you go after I just found you. Please be careful and safe in your trip home and back here, I'd hate to lose you a second time." He pressed her into his chest as he thought of losing his niece, wanting to take her pain, anguish, and confusion into himself, to keep her from leaving him.

As his embrace tightened, causing Mika to struggle for air, she croaked, "Can't breathe!" Looking down at her, Inuyasha released her and she kissed him on his cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I won't make any promises as to how long I'll be gone, seeing as all the stuff I've to accomplish before I come back. As it is, it will be at least a week if not two. I'll call Kagome with a status on my progress and be back as soon as I can," she said as she picked up her back pack.

"Oh, that long. I guess I can't really say much about it." She kissed his cheek again in fare well as she bolted from the room and down the stairs. Mika stopped briefly to say her good byes to her grandfather, Sota and Aunt Midori. As she headed toward the front door, she thought, "What am I doing? Why can't I just do everything from here and stay with my new found family?" While thinking about the answer, Mika exited the house, stopping near the door long enough to get the cab information from Kagome.

"It should be waiting for you at the street. Your flight leaves in about 2 hours and will go from here to Twin Falls by way of Portland and Salt Lake City. In total it will be about 18 hours or so, depending on delays. I hope you call when you get home so I can reassure Inuyasha that you're ok and unharmed," Kagome said as she and Mika walked toward the entrance to the shrine.

Mika looked at Kagome as she replied, "I appreciate you help with arranging the cab and flights. I'm just an emotional wreck right now. I guess my main reason for going home is to get my personal effects and come back, but to also say good bye to my friends and my life as a normal person before I comeback to my dysfunctional family. I need to reassess what happened and come to terms with it so when I finally meet my father, I can handle it better. Thank you for being here for me, I really appreciate it." Mika hugged Kagome before starting down the stairs.

As she waved to Mika from the top of the stairs, she felt Inuyasha's presence as he moved next to her. "Will she be okay, traveling by herself?" he asked.

"She'll be fine. As incentive to return, I slipped a jewel shard into her bag with her wolf pendant. I'm sure she'll find it and want to return it quickly," she replied as she watched Mika enter the cab and drive away.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, rage and frustration on his face as he reacted to the news. "You did WHAT?!! She has a jewel shard and doesn't even know it?!! Do you know what will happen if she touches it? Probably worse than when I came in contact with the one that I used on Tetsusaiga. Are you prepared for that to happen?"

"I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure she'll be fine. Look at Koga. He has one in each leg and it hasn't turned him into a hideous creature, nor had Sesshomaru when Naraku gave him the human arm with the shard in it to get Tetsusaiga away from you. She'll be fine, trust me. Now let's go back to the house so we can get a good nights rest before we go back to the feudal era," she said as she turned back to the house, leaving a flabbergasted Inuyasha behind.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going after her. She needs to know about the shard and its effect on demons," he said as he prepared to take off after the cab.

Kagome didn't even turn as she said, "Sit!" At the sound of her voice the beads around his neck dropped him to the pavement, causing the sidewalk to crack slightly under the command. "You'll do no such thing. She'll be fine, don't worry." She continued into the house as Inuyasha cursed under his breath the beads of subjugation around his neck.


	17. Home on the Range

**Home on the Range**

As the yellow cab pulled away from the curb, Mika thought about her upcoming trip. "I wonder," She thought, "How long it will take to get the house sold, get everything packed up and shipped that I want to keep. Selling the house shouldn't be that hard considering mom and dad were getting offers on it before the accident." With a heavy heart, Mika slipped into memories of her adoptive parents.

Once at the airport, Mika grabbed her back pack from the cab and entered the terminal. Thankfully she didn't have to wait long to get checked in. As she walked toward the concourse for her red-eye Trans Pacific flight, Mika dwelled on the memories of her new family. A smile crossed her face at the thought of the two demon uncles, the demon slayer, monk, and fox demon. Despite all the horrible things that had happened to her in the Feudal Era, Mika was glad to have found a second family. Through out her flight, Mika slept lightly, as brief images of her new family flashed in her mind. After the plane touched down at the Los Angeles International Airport, Mika quickly found a pay phone and called Amy.

"What…You're coming back already?"

Mika thought a second before she replied, "It's a long story. Let's just say this'll be a kamikaze run."

"Oh. That bad over there, or was it good?"

Shaking her head at her friend's persistence she said, "It was fine. I'd rather not get into it over the phone, especially since this call is costing me a fortune. I'll tell you all about it when I get there! My flight gets in around 7:00 pm; thankfully they haven't announced any layovers yet."

Okay, Mika. No problem. I'll be at the airport waiting for you. Take it easy. You sound even more worked up than when you left. Just relax and enjoy the flights!" Amy replied, concern for her friend poured over the line.

Picking up on the concern, Mika replied, "Thank you Amy. I'll try to relax and I'll see you soon." Almost hanging up the phone, Mika thought of something, as she asked, "Hey Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be prepared for some changes."

"Okay…I'll see you later."

Once Mika hung up the phone a sly smile crossed her face as she anticipated the look on her friends face. "She's going to kill me!" Mika thought excitedly.

"Attention all passengers, this is Captain Brockton speaking. We should be arriving in Salt Lake City in roughly fifteen minutes. We are currently at thirty five thousand feet and the temperature in Salt Lake City is currently seventy-eight degrees and the sky is clear. Thank you for flying American Airlines and it has been a pleasure being your captain." Mika listened to the full message before opening her eyes. A little girl, no older than eight years old with green eyes and brown hair was the first thing she saw. The little girl's presence startled her a bit. Mika had made every effort to hone down her new found senses. Maybe she honed them down a little too far, for she did not recall beginning the flight with the child sitting in the row in front of her.

"Hi, what's your name, little one?" Mika waited for the little girl to respond. The girl just kept staring, with the unblinking eyes of a child.

Finally she remarked, "I think those marks on your face make you look pretty. You don't have to cover them up you know," once she realized that Mika was losing interest.

"Oh, no" Mika thought as her hands went directly for her face. Her make-up must have come off while she was sleeping. Having flown nearly halfway around the world in about eighteen hours, Mika was surprised that the foundation she had applied had lasted as long as it did. "Oh, those silly things, those are birth marks, yeah, just ordinary birth marks," she replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "If it were only true," Mika thought. "Oh scheiße, maybe Kagome's foundation didn't match my skin tone more than I thought."

"Sure lady. Whatever you say, but there is nothing ordinary about your ears!" With that said the little girl turned around and sat down in her seat.

A look of shock crossed Mika's face as she thought about those last words of the little green-eyed girl. "I forgot about them, what I am going to do?" she thought as she rummaged around in her back pack for a mirror. Once she was able to pull out her Cubs base ball cap, she headed toward the bathroom with her cap and compact in hand. She plastered on as much foundation as possible and placed her cap on her head with her long hair pulled through the back and the points of her ears tucked under the edge. The bill was pulled low to where she could see what was going on, but her face was a bit obscured. While heading back to her seat again, Mika passed a woman who had on such a strong perfume, which she apparently bathed in that the scent made her head hurt and sick to her stomach. Once again, she was reminded of how much had changed within the past few weeks. Continuing to her seat, she thought, "Well, Mika, you can look at this as a new beginning and move on with your head up high. I mean how many people have a chance to do what you have done. None! Oh, man, Amy's going to flip out when she sees me!"

"Oh… My God… What the Hell did you do to yourself?!" Mika laughed at her best friend's response as she hugged her. It felt so good to see a familiar face. "You're gone for almost two weeks and you come back with the most disgustingly beautiful hair I've ever seen, as well as having on more make-up than the whole circus. The only thing you tell me on the phone is 'to be prepared for some changes!' Amy Pehicila looked Mika up and down and just shook her head as she grabbed Mika's back pack. Still smiling, Mika grabbed Amy by the hand and pulled her close for another hug.

"Ugh. Hey, not so hard, Mika! I don't weigh a ton you know," Grumbled Amy as she tried to pull away for some air. "What's going on with here," Amy thought, "She's changed so much since she left and yet still maintains remains her rouge style." Amy knew something was up when Mika had called her from the LAX asking for a ride home. "Maybe I'm making too much of a big deal out of this. Hell, Mika was always a loner of sorts, taking solus in nature and the out doors than going to the mall, talking about boys and clothes shopping. Heck her friends even called her Rojo Lobo, the Red Wolf." Mentally, Amy shrugged her shoulders and lead Mika out to her pick up.

On the half hour drive to Mika's country home, Amy questioned her with numerous questions about Mika's trip. "Whoa, Amy! Please slow down! It was so over whelming! It turns out my adopted family is really very nice, but I also found my biological family." Mika paused and took a sip of the soda Amy handed her. "I have two uncles from both sides, Inuyasha and Koga. My mother, Akane, had died when I was born and that's why I had been left with Kagome's family. As for the guys…Yes, I did meet a very handsome monk named Miroku, but he's involved with this girl Sango."

"Wait a minute! I thought monks couldn't, well you know, engage in sexual activities. I thought that there was something about a vow of chastity."

"Yeah, but this guy doesn't have a problem breaking it. The third day after I met him, he grabbed my butt."

"Wow, forward…"

"Yeah, he's is a bit forward, but he's a nice guy. Just a letch, in fact I'd actually threatened to castrate him if he grabbed my butt again."

"I bet that went over well. So did you find out anything about your biological father?" As Amy looked at Mika she thought she may have asked the wrong question, "Mika?"

"I'm okay, Amy. Yeah, I actually saw him a few times, but I didn't get a chance to talk with him or anything." Mika paused to think of a way to tell Amy about him with out making him sound like what he was, a demon. "He was never told about me and only learned I even existed when I went over there. He was… kind of stand offish. I'm hoping to get to know him better when I get back." Mika finished with a smile as they pulled onto the road to her home.

"Well that's got to be a lot to deal with. I mean finding not only a family you kind of remembered, but another family you never even knew about. So what are your uncles like?"

"Well Koga is the older of the two from my mother's side. Apparently he wanted to keep me but my mother didn't want him to raise me. I'm still not too sure of her reasons." Mika lied trying to hide the fact she knew exactly why. "He's really nice, but kind of over protective. Koga is also in love with my cousin Kagome. Thankfully she's not related to me by blood, and then it would be a bit awkward. I think he even asked her to marry him, but she's in love with my other uncle, Inuyasha. He never knew about me either, and was very happy to find out about me. You see he doesn't get along with my dad too good, seeing as they are half brothers. I think its dealing with my father's dislike of Inuyasha's mother. So they fight every time they get together. Inuyasha is also very over protective of me. The whole time I was there both of them kept trying to treat me like I was 10 again! Really it was insulting." Mika shook her head as Amy tried to stifle her laughter. "Hey why are you laughing?"

Amy was trying to control herself but once Mika caught on, she started to laugh whole heartedly. "Oh Mika it's just so funny! You just described my family! It's big extended, very close and the boys are always over protective. I'm just so happy for you. I know you've lost the only family you knew, but now you have a whole new family that loves and cares for you. I know how important it can be, especially right now." Amy said with a sullen smile.

"Thanks Amy. I almost forgot about your parents." Mika said with a smile, Amy had lost her parents too, so Mika felt even closer to her best friend then ever before. "Do you want to come in? I'll order a pizza, and we can watch movies."

"No, I'd like to but I have to go get my brother from school. He had a game tonight. So how long will you be in town?"

"Oh, for at least a week, I have so much to think about and so much to do." Mika said as she got out of the truck. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can do something ok!"

"Alright, have a good night!" and with that Amy drove off down the road. For some reason she couldn't bear to tell Amy she'd decided to stay over there permanently, but she knew after looking into her eyes at the airport that Amy would understand her decision. Mika stood in front of her family's home for a few moments the sight was almost too much to bear. "Well I better go in. There's no reason to be standing out here since I have to start packing anyways. Oh…I'd better call Kagome. I have a sneaking suspicion Inuyasha is driving her nuts." Mika entered the house and went straight to the phone.

"Hello Higurashi residence, Kagome speaking."

"Kagome, its Mika. I just got home and thought I should call and see if Inuyasha was torturing you yet."

"Mika, it's so good to hear from you. Yes, he was pestering me so badly I told him to go back to the Feudal Era to tell Koga and the others what was going on. I hate it when he fidgets, and he always does when he is nervous! But your there and your safe, he'll be glad to know when I get back to tell him."

"Yeah, I'll try to get everything taken care of as quickly as I can, but I may just put the house on the market and have the realtors contact me if it doesn't sell fast."

"Okay, Mika, but take your time. Don't rush yourself, as annoying as Inuyasha gets I can always make him 'sit'!" As Kagome uttered the words they both heard Inuyasha scream, and hit the ground. "Oh, speak of devil, I better let you go or he'll want to know every detail! One thing before I let you go Mika. I think I may have dropped a jewel shard in you bag. So be careful, I've learned there are things in our world that will be drawn to the jewel."

"What?? What do you mean drawn to it?"

"Don't worry Mika I don't think there were many demons in America, or at least they wouldn't know about the jewel. Just be careful, keep it with you in a small jar if you have one, and just keep it out of sight," Kagome said trying to calm her cousin.

"Okay, your right. I doubt there are many demons in the whole United States then in all of Idaho, but just the same I'll keep it as hidden as I can. Thanks for the warning Kagome, I guess I'll see you in a week or so!"

"Bye Mika" Kagome said trying to sound at ease.

"Wait is that Mika? Let me talk to her Kagome!" Mika heard Inuyasha as Kagome hung up the phone. She smiled for in the short time she had spent with her cousin she had known she could trust Kagome. Mika then ordered a pizza and started to get boxes together to pack up her personal things she would want to take with her. As she slowly started to get things together Mika came across a picture album. It was the last family trip she had been on with her parents. They had gone on a float trip the previous Labor Day weekend on the Snake River. Mika flipped through the pictures remembering how she had loved the look of the river, the ducks swimming in the shallows near shore, and the feel of going through the rapids. Although she had been intimidated by the big rapids, Mika was anxious to go through them. The thoughts brought tears to her eyes at the now stolen time she had with her family, and then cried harder for the thought that she might never be able to be that close to her biological father. She put the album in the bottom of a box with the rest of the books she planned to take with her. Wiping her eyes she kept packing.

Mika soon ran out of boxes and then looked at the clock. It was almost two o'clock in the morning.

"Oh scheiße! I need to get some sleep. Come to think of it, I should look for that jewel shard Kagome told me about." Mika reached up to stroke her wolf pendant and realized she'd never put it on. "I hope I left that in my bag. Please, oh please, let it be in my bag!" Mika dumped the contents of her backpack on the floor and started to go through her things to find the necklace and jewel. "There they are. Oh thank God, I didn't lose it." Mika held the jewel in her hand and the pendant to her heart. Mika slowly drifted down the hall to her old room. Opening the door she collapsed on the bed in a heap. She couldn't even shrug out of her clothes she was so tired. Fighting weariness and emotional hurt Mika slipped into an uneasy sleep.

The dream began with Mika falling into black nothingness. As she opened her eyes, Mika realized that she'd been completely surrounded by multitudes of demons. She crouched on the ground, her blade the only means of support for her weary body. Her breathing was ragged and labored from the excursion she had used during the fight. Mika's armor felt heavy and cumbersome as she glanced at the rest of the combatants. To her left Inuyasha and Koga fought back to back. They were pinned between the onrushing horde of demons and a steep rock wall. Kagome, along with Sango and Miroku were similarly pinned to her right. "This canyon was a trap. Why couldn't we see that this was an Ambush?" Mika thought wildly, cursing herself for ignoring the 'gut' feeling of foreboding as they entered the accursed place.

Mika's eyes moved to the last combatant before her. Sesshomaru was also cut off from her rescue by a large number of demons as well. Even though the distance was great, Mika sensed Sesshomaru's true intentions. She felt his over whelming need to save her, to protect her from the demons who sought her death.

Suddenly a searing, blinding pain racked her back, causing her to scream out in pain. The claws of numerous demons cut deep into her back. In an instant, the pain subsided as the demon was cut down by a stranger. He stood with his back toward her, brandishing a sword toward the oncoming horde of demons. Mika felt safe with her savior and moved closer to him. As she touched the fur that hung down his back and across his shoulders, the rest of the dream faded, and Mika stood alone with this man. He smiled back at her with such a loving and affectionate look which made Mika feel a little awkward.

"Who are you?" Mika asked in a hushed tone. Before he could say anything Mika heard a great howl, and turned toward the direction of the sound. Seeing nothing she turned back to the stranger, and saw a gigantic white dog standing in his place. The dog towered over her similar to a modern day sky scraper. Instead of being terrified, Mika was awestruck by his appearance and reached a tentative hand out to the great dog demon to lay a hand on his great paw. As soon as she touched the soft fur of his paw, Mika awoke with a start.

Mika grasped the Shikon jewel shard to her chest with her pendant and thought about the dream. A feeling of love and warmth came to her from her recollection of the dream. Once she moved from her bed, however, she winced in pain as she stretched her back muscles. Mika looked in the bathroom mirror as best she could at her back and saw the three deep gashes across her back.

"What the hell? Where did those come from? They weren't there last night when I went to sleep. Was this from the dream? But how…" Mika thought as she tried to doctor her wounds with some antibiotic ointment and peroxide. After she doctored the wounds as best she could, she threw on a clean tank top and continued her sorting and packing of her home.

It was early morning, she felt much better remembering how happy she had been with that man smiling at her, and yet she was deeply concerned about the marks on her back. Mika continued to pack what few things she wanted to take back to Japan, mainly some photo albums of her various trips across the United States with her parents, like her last hunting trip the previous fall with her father to Opal Lake near Challis, rafting down part of the Snake River near Twin Falls the previous summer, a car trip with Amy to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and her favorite trip to Riggins for steal-head fishing with her parents during Spring Break the month before the accident. Reminiscing over her memories of her parents brought tears to her eyes as she thought about how much had changed since their death.


	18. The Vision Quest

**The Vision Quest**

Mika looked at Amy after her fourth consecutive nightmare of being surrounded by the demons and being saved by the gigantic dog demon. "I can't sleep anymore because the dreams are so vivid, Amy," Mika said as she cradled a cup of chicken noodle soup. "I've worked myself to exhaustion just so I can avoid sleeping and dreaming. Since I've been home, I've only slept about four times, and each time it's the same nightmare. If you don't believe me, take a look at my back and see for yourself the marks left by these demons." She got up from the kitchen table and lifted her tank top high enough to show Amy her back and the multiple gashes in various stages of healing.

Amy looked at her friend's back, having a difficult time accepting the story Mika just told her of her biological family, her connection to demons and the feudal era of Japan. With the layers of new and barely healed gashes across her back as solid evidence as well as Mika's markings, Amy said, "What this appears to be is a demon using the power of the jewel shard that Kagome happened to leave with you. I'm not sure what is happening, but I'm going to suggest you travel to a place that means a lot to you so you can communicate with the spirits that are trying to contact you through your dream."

"You mean like a vision quest? You've got to be kidding me! I'm not to sure I believe in all that nonsense, Amy. I really don't have the time to go off on a wild goose chase. I need to really get the house ready to be sold so I can go back to Japan. I've been gone too long as it is and am eager to return in pursuit of my father." Mika looked out at the view of the distant mountains and valley from her kitchen window, thinking about what Amy suggested.

Amy took her friend's hand and replied, "Honestly Mika, with all that you've been through in Japan that you just told me and with the wounds on your back from a supposed dream, do you have to ask. I feel this will answer a lot of questions you have and give you a chance to relax. What was the name of that lake high up in the mountains that you went to last fall with your dad hunting? Diamond Swamp, Ruby Mountains, Sapphire…"

"Opal Lake," Mika corrected her friend. "It was Opal Lake where I got that huge bull. That reminds me, I want to take the hide with me. I think dad had it turned into a coat for me, but I don't remember." She stared into her cup of noodles, contemplating Amy's suggestion. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to go back to Opal Lake for some closure after all. Kagome wasn't expecting me for a while any way. I just wonder if she's been able to keep Inuyasha from driving her nuts."

After some considerable contemplation Mika looked at her friend, seeing the concern in her eyes as well as the love. "I'll go on this quest as you suggested. The clean mountain air will help me clear my head. I was contemplating getting some pictures from up there as well to adorn the walls of my new home. Now I guess I have no choice. I'll leave in the morning in my truck." As the day progressed, Amy helped Mika load up her pick up with a bedroll, a cooler of food and water, small chain saw, jerry cans, grill grate and her fishing pole with a small tackle box. Mika packed her rucksack with some clean clothes, fire making supplies, a small medical kit, a five inch straight blade hunting knife, and her Ruger .44 Magnum semi auto hand gun with some ammunition.

When Amy saw the gun, she asked, "Why are you taking that?" Mika looked in her bag at the gun as she thought of all that had happened while she was in Japan.

"I'm headed into rough terrain and the wilds of Idaho where there is only you and the wildlife. Who knows what I'll run into while I'm up there, a grizzly, puma, wolves, some really stupid people, etc? I just like being prepared." Mika replied.

Once all the gear was packed, Mika dozed until early morning before heading out to the highway. She drove her Nissan 4X4 north on US 93 as the sun barely crossed the eastern horizon, casting the surrounding area in an orange glow. As she drove, she recalled the phone conversation the previous evening to her Aunt Midori. Mika explained that it would be another four days before she'd leave for Japan. "Tell Kagome I'm sorry for the head ache it's going to create."

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Be careful on your trip. It sounds wonderful going into the wilderness like that. When you get your flight information, please let us know so that we can make arrangements for your arrival." With a bit of a smile, Mika said she would.

As she followed the road along the north side of the Snake River Plain, Mika thought of all that she'd been through. She looked at her life in the states and saw how much her demonic parentage had directed her actions. Despite the fact that she'd only just met her biological family, Mika felt a connection to them despite time and distance.

The hours flew by as she continued her drive past Craters of the Moon, through Arco, along the Big Lost River, and past Mackey Reservoir. She fondly remembered the family fishing trips on the Big Lost River and Mackey Reservoir, grossing out her mother with actually touching not only live night crawlers but the slimy trout as well. Mika reminisced when she got closer to Challis, she thought of the previous fall when she had taken her first elk. He was a majestic six point bull with a massive body. It took all she and her father had to get him on the truck. One shot straight to the heart with an arrow. He stood for a few moments before his knees buckled and he fell heavily onto his side as he breathed his last breath. Her father had taken a few pictures of her and the bull before they started to load him onto their pickup. Mika sighed as she spotted the 'Welcome to Challis' sign and drove to her favorite restaurant where they had the best liver and onions. She smiled at the memory of her first time at the restaurant with her father and the look of utter shock on the waitress' face when she'd order the meal, for breakfast no less. Knowing that it would be better to start fresh for Opal Lake in the morning, Mika got a room at the hotel across from the restaurant and went to eat dinner. She'd been at the hotel before and was grateful for a warm bed, hot shower and local news to check on the weather for the time that she'd be at the lake. Once she'd finished her dinner, she drove to the local market and picked up some last minute supplies.

Mika wandered through to the meat department, looking for the perfect steak. She recalled from her last trip the delicate flavor of lodge pole pine grilled stakes that she had made. It was so tasty with only a little salt and pepper for seasoning. After purchasing the perfect steak, a bag of ice and a few potatoes and onions, Mika returned to her room and took a relaxing shower. She slipped into her flannel pajamas as she turned the television on for some noise. Slowly she started to fall asleep, hoping against hope that she wouldn't have the night mare again.

As she slipped into her dreams, Mika was confronted by a stranger dressed in buckskins and wearing war paint across his face. "Who are you?" Mika asked as she reached toward her the buck knife on her belt.

"Ska sung manitu tan ka," the warrior spoke reverently, watching the woman before her. His eyes never leaving her face, or the hand as it moved toward the knife at her belt.

Mika shook her head as she replied, "I don't understand. What are you trying to say to me?"

Again the warrior stated, "Ska sung manitu tan ka," as he pointed to the woman dressed in black leather and armor.

Mika grew more frustrated at what the persistent warrior was trying to get across. She wracked her brains and finally yelled, "Slolwáye sni!" (I don't know!)

The warrior's eyes grew wide at the statement. He stammered in Lakota, "You speak our language?"

Taken back by what the warrior said and shocked that she understood it, Mika replied in Lakota, "I guess I do. Now repeat what you said, before, when you first saw me, please."

"I said 'white wolf.' I meant no offense," he replied as he approached her cautiously since her hand had not left her knife. "My name is Hehaka Sapa, the medicine man for the Lakota. I'm here to warn you about your vision quest you plan to embark."

Mika looked at the warrior and saw through his eyes he spoke the truth. "Why would you call me a 'white wolf'? I obviously have red hair. And why are you warning me about my journey? Where is this coming from? Am I in grave danger?" Her hand stayed on the hilt of her knife as the warrior moved closer. She could see the intricate designs of his war paint and the bead work of his breast plate as he moved closer.

"I call you 'white wolf' for you're the embodiment of the Timber wolf. I've also been shown that you are not from around here and that the jewel at your neck draws powerful beings to it for supreme power," he replied.

Mika thought a moment about what he said before responding, "Who did you get this information from? It's not common knowledge."

"As the medicine man for the local Lakota tribe, I've been shown these visions by Wanka Tanka. He was apparently directed from a different source. However, during your vision quest, you will be preyed upon by beings of this world and the dream world which can do you serious harm, even kill you. Be warned, you can either be at their mercy or you can defend yourself." The warrior turned to leave as Mika grabbed his shoulder.

"Why did you do this? Why warn me?"

He looked back at Mika over his shoulder as he replied, "There are others who wish for you to remain safe. Though they are not here physically, they are always with you. Keep your head up and remember your heritage."

As he finished replying to Mika's questions, he walked away and disappeared into a slowly enveloping fog, leaving Mika in a darkened glen to her thoughts. "Why did I get the warning? I know that the dreams I've been having recently are pretty realistic, considering the open wounds on my back. Maybe there is more to this than I thought. I wish that Kagome hadn't given me this damn jewel shard!" Mika thought as she reached to her neck for the little leather medicine pouch which held the jewel shard.

As she touched the pouch, an ominous feeling overcame the young hanyou. "What you have belongs to me. No mater what time, continent or distance. I'll get it back one way or another," a dark shadow spoke from the glen, hidden amongst the numerous shadows of the trees.

"Who are you? Show yourself, coward!" Mika yelled, bile rising in her throat as she thought she recognized the voice.

From the darkness, the voice cackled hideously, as he replied, "Search your memory, hanyou. You know who this is and what I want. Return to me the jewel shard and I'll spare your family from hell."

Hearing the threat to her family, Mika clenched her fists as only one name came to mind, "Naraku!" "Come out and show yourself coward. How did you find me?" she asked the shadows as her hand carefully slid her knife farther from its sheath.

Draped in the ever popular white baboon pelt, the dark haired steel eyed Naraku emerged from the trees and moved toward Mika. "Do you honestly think that as powerful as I am that infiltrating your dreams is all that hard? Honestly, I thought you were smarter than that." The demon moved closer to Mika as he spoke to her. In a flash, metal flew through the air, striking the demon lord in the chest.

Looking down at the hilt of Mika's Buck knife protruding from his chest, Naraku chuckled. "Did you really think that a mere blade as this could kill me?"

"No, I'm smarter than that. I was aiming for the demon puppet within your chest. I'm sure that it will shatter any second now. Be fore warned, I'm aware of your tactics, Naraku. In my dreams I'm in control of what's going on, so stay out of them or you're the one that will die," Mika threatened as the demon puppet in Naraku's chest split in two. Relieved that it was not the same demon hordes from her earlier nightmares, Mika rested further until morning.


	19. Opal Lake

**Opal Lake**

In the pre-dawn hours of the next morning, Mika awoke from a fitful sleep. Seeing the slight frost covering her windows, Mika was thankful to have had a warm room to stay in. She quickly rummaged through her duffle bad for her clothes. Once she'd pulled out her attire Mika quickly changed into the thermal bottoms, Levi jeans, tee-shirt, and hooded sweatshirt. Mika pulled her hair back into a French braid, which coiled into the hood of her sweatshirt. She slipped on her hiking boots over her calf high socks, tying them securely in place.

Before Mika packed her duffle bag once again in her truck, she applied a layer of foundation, closer to her natural skin color to conceal her facial markings. "Good thing Amy knows more about make-up than I do," she thought. Mika looked at the marks on her arms once she pushed up the sleeves on her sweatshirt. "Luckily I like my sweatshirts big and baggy. These won't show as much," she thought as she slid the sleeves down over her strips and grabbed her favorite Cubs hat. Once it was on her head, Mika slid her flannel shirt jacket over her sweatshirt and grabbed all her gear and put in the back of her truck.

After she placed the duffle bag in the backseat of her truck, Mika inhaled the clean mountain air. With her heightened sense of smell, Mika clearly identified the mixture of scents to their individual sources, such as lodge pole pine trees, quacking aspen, sage brush and diesel fuel. Smiling to herself as he entered the restaurant, Mika thought, "This is one of the things that I'm going to miss when I return to the Feudal Era, the smell of diesel fuel. Guess that I'm just strange."

She purchased an Idaho State Journal before sitting at the counter for breakfast, down a few seats from a couple of local men. As she waited for her Denver omelet and sourdough toast, Mika looked through the newspaper. She vaguely was listening to the old-timers as the spoke of local news. Once her omelet arrived, she dug in with vigor until she heard the men speaking about the wolf pack that had been turned loose near Duck Mountain.

"I hear that they've been stalking some of the local ranches in that area, but since their protected under the endangered species act we can't d anything about it," one said as he drank a cup of coffee.

The other replied, "If I feel threatened, I'll shoot first and take the consequences later. I heard that a fellow was out with his dog when they encountered a lone wolf. He was acting aggressively toward the man and his dog. Fortunately the man was smart enough to have gone out with a hand gun and placed a warning shot at the wolf's paws. The wolf high tailed it out of there."

As the two old-times continued, Mika smiled slyly to herself, thankful that she'd packed her .44 Magnum, despite the fit that Amy threw. She finished her meal and paid the waitress for the food. As she let her truck warm up, Mika scrapped the windows free of frost and then drove to a local gas station. She topped of her truck's gas tank and filled both jerry cans, in case she ran out while out in the back country. Once she'd paid for the gas and a couple litters of Pepsi, Mika pulled back onto US 93 and drove north for about 12 miles. She turned left onto Morgan Creek Road that wound its way through the Salmon River Mountains of the Challis National Forest. As she reached a bit of a mountain pass, the road changed to Panther Creek Road. She drove down this road for a ways until she saw the sign for Opal Lake Road. Mika smiled as she thought of the past fall when she was here with her father. She fondly recalled bringing their popup camper with for a place to stay. "Now I decide to 'rough it' instead. It could be worse," she thought.

Quickly she turned up the road that led to Opal Lake. As she took her time going up the road Mika thought of their previous camp sight and the hole that they had to dig for a latrine. As she drove past the old camp sight, she saw the huge rock that they got out of that hole. "Man that took forever to get out. It had to weigh at least 50 pounds. Good thing I don't need to do that this trip," Mika thought. She drove a little further across the creek that ran down the middle of the little valley. Once she crossed the creek, Mika stopped her truck to look at a downed tree near the creek. As she looked at the tree, Mika relived her first experience with a chainsaw.

"Hold onto the chainsaw tight. Remember to hit the bar in front to stop the blade if it gets out of control. Relax and take your time," her father had said as she started up the Husky. Mika approached the tree with the smell of bar oil burning her nose. As she placed the spinning chain saw blade to the tree, she felt it slid through the tree similar to a hot knife through butter. After a few minutes she had cut a few pieces of tree 18 inches long from the tree, enough for a stool for her and her father, as well as wood for a fire.

Returning back to the present, Mika thought, "I at least know that this tree should be dry enough for a decent fire while I'm here." She shut off the truck as she got out of her truck. Mika approached the tree apprehensively, almost afraid that she'd forget how to cut fire wood. She saw that there was plenty of good firewood left from the tree to last her at least a week. As she returned to the back of her truck, Mika grabbed the Husky and a smaller jerry can of gas. Once she got the chainsaw ready, Mika removed her sweatshirt in anticipation of the amount of exertion that she'd do while cutting the wood. She moved closer to the dead tree and started the chainsaw as she'd previously been shown. In a matter of a half hour, Mika had cut the remaining tree into more manageable pieces. She carried them to the back of her truck, where with an ax she was able to split most of them into smaller pieces. Once most of the wood was either split or left whole and loaded into her truck, Mika looked at her watch to see that it was well past noon. Her stomach growled in anticipation of the steak dinner to be eaten later that night; however it kindly reminded her that she needed sustenance to continue for the day. She rummaged in her rucksack for some crackers and jalapeno cheese packets from her father's MRE stash. While she ate the cheese and crackers with Pepsi she looked up the next obstacle in her journey, a slight climb up the side of a hill to get to the forest above. Thankfully she was glad that her truck was a four-wheeled drive vehicle, or else she'd have at least another four hour drive coming in from the backside, by way of Moyer Creek Road.

Once she finished her snack, Mika repacked the Husky, gas can and ax into her truck with the firewood. Turning the hubs on her truck to engage the transmission, Mika returned to her truck and changed it from two wheeled drive to four wheeled. She moved up the hill at a bit of a crawl and was relieved after the few minutes that it took to get there. Carefully she followed the path to a bit of a rock quarry and parked her truck for the night. She exited the truck again and rummaged into her truck for her bedroll and rucksack. Once both the bedroll and rucksack were secure on her back, Mika hiked the last quarter mile to the shores of Opal Lake, and set up her camp. After a few more trips to her truck for her little cooler and firewood, Mika collected stones for a fire pit and started a fire. With a roaring fire going, the sun slowly setting in the west, Mika began to get her dinner ready. She sliced the potatoes and onions into thin slices, piling them with some garlic salt and a little bacon grease onto aluminum foil. She tossed them onto the grill grate that was placed over the fire and waited before throwing her steak on the fire.

As the potatoes cooked, Mika looked over the tranquil lake, thinking of what Amy had said about communicating with the spirit or being that plagued her dreams. With the revelation of Naraku being in her dreams, and the medicine man's warning, she knew that Amy was right, that there was more to her dreams than she realized. Once she was sure the potatoes were mostly cooked, Mika threw the steak on the grill, lightly adding a little salt and pepper as it cooked. She returned to her thoughts and memories.

As the steak sizzled and sputtered over the lodge pole pine fire, the scent of the cooking meat wafted into the surrounding area. A single nose picked up the wonderful smell. The tongue liked saliva drenched lips as the nose followed the scent. From the timberline, down wind from Mika, the animal quietly approached. About halfway between the food and timberline, the creature of the woods sat on its haunches uncertain of whether it should proceed toward the wonderful smell of cooking steak or return to the safety of the trees.

Mika flipped the steak once as she felt the presence of another enter into her range of perception. She flicked an ear toward the intruder, hearing a slight panting sound as well as natural evening nature sounds. Carefully she turned her head toward the intruder on her right, keeping her hand on the .45 Magnum at her hip. With the wind blowing the smoke away from her, toward the creature, Mika was unable to get a clear scent of the animal.

Once the creature caught the unmistakable scent of wood smoke, its hackles raised slightly because it also caught the distinct scent of another wolf as well as the scent of dog. Curious as to the creature with the mixed scent, she moved closer toward the fire. As her eyes locked onto the face of Mika, a soft whimper escaped her throat as tears welled into her blue eyes.

Mika watched the grey and black colored wolf cautiously approach into the light cast by the fire. Her hand remained on the pistol as the wolf sat about eight feet from Mika. Something about the aura emanating from the wolf eased Mika's mind a bit as she took her steak off the grill. "I'm not sure, but I don't think this wolf is going to hurt me. It's almost as if I know this aura, like it's from Koga, but slightly different," she thought as she filled her plate.

The wolf moved a bit closer, trying to get a better look at the female humanoid that smelled vaguely familiar. As the wolf jockeyed for a better spot to observe Mika, Mika said to the wolf, "I'm not sharing my steak, wolf. I only brought one and I've worked hard for it."

The wolf cocked her head, trying to catch the words the female said. Catching the gist of the comment, she laid down with her head on her paws, watching the female eat the enticing steak. As she watched Mika savor each bit of steak, the wolf noticed the facial markings and claws. Intrigued she continued to observe the female, knowing that this was the hanyou they'd been waiting for. Shortly, she knew, they would be joined by another and the female wolf relaxed a bit, marveling at the presence of her daughter after all these years.

As Mika finished her dinner, leaving a bite or so of steak for the wolf, she felt another presence approach from the timber line. Unlike the wolf before her, this presence was one both power and grace. She threw the scraps of meat to the wolf as she observed the man slowly approaching her camp.

"If I'd known that this place was so popular, I'd have gone to Bighorn Crags instead," Mika thought. She moved her hand back to her hand gun as the male came closer.

"Hello. May I stop in?" the figure asked, before entering farther into the camp fire light.

Mika saw the middle aged man stop near the wolf, almost as if he was approaching the family dog. "Sure. I'm sorry that I can't offer you something to eat. I'd only planed on being here tonight than moving on," she replied, taking in the appearance of the stranger. His long silvery hair was pulled back into a high pony tail and flowed down his back. He was modestly dressed in Levi's with a flannel shirt and thick down filled vest. When her eyes sought his face, Mika gasped slightly as they came in contact with loving amber eyes, so similar to Inuyasha's and yet sadder.

He sat across the fire from Mika on a chunk of lodge pole that Mika had left for a chair. He looked over the girl before him as he thought about his next words to her. "Better get this over with now, while it's still early," he thought.

The stranger looked deeply into Mika's blue eyes as he softly said, "I know why you're here, Mika."

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Mika quickly pulled the .45 Magnum, cocking and aiming it at the stranger and switching off the safety in one fluid motion. "Who the Hell are you?! How did you know my name?" she stammered as she tried to calm her raising heart and lower the raised hackles on her neck.

The stranger looked intently into her confused eyes, knowing she could easily read his soul through his eyes. "I know who you are because I'm your grandfather, Inu no Taisho, the former ruler of the Western Lands. Please don't be alarmed. I can understand your apprehension, but would you please put away your weapon. It would do you no good at this time."

Mika searched his eyes and saw only truth. Slowly she returned her pistol to its holster as a number of questions raced through her mind. "How do I know you are who you say you are? Last I knew you were killed over seven hundred years ago."

He chuckled a bit as he replied, "Would you have let me near your camp if I had arrived in armor, haori and hakama, similar to how Sesshomaru is dressed?"

Mika cast her eyes toward the fire as she returned the pistol to its holster as she replied, "You have a point. Last time I saw him, I battled him, Inuyasha and Koga at once and it ended kind of badly. I'm sure that I would not have been quite as civil, although I don't think that my pistol would have done more than irritate him, if I was to have shot him. So what do you normally look like? I can tell that this is not it, for you look a bit uncomfortable in that getup."

As he sat on his chair, Inu no Taisho allowed the disguise to vanish and was replaced by armor, similar in fashion to Mika's of shoulder and arm guards, and gauntlet. His breast plate covered most of his chest, yet revealed a white and blue haori and hakama with a red sash. Mika gazed at her grandfather as the disguise revealed his markings of a single strip across each cheek. "Wow, that was an amazing disguise!" she thought to herself, "I need to get him to teach me that so that I won't have to freak out when I go back to Japan."

As if reading her thoughts, he replied, "It's a simple disguise spell, although I'll need to teach you more of a concealment sutra marking for the time that you're going to be traveling. They are easier to do and require a lot less energy."

"How did you…" Mika stammered.

"Know," he said as he completed her sentence. Looking across the fire to the young hanyou, he replied, "I'm connected to your thoughts, through your connection to the jewel shard. With its powers I've been able to become more than just a dream."

At the mention of the word 'dream,' Mika's eyes went wide is surprise and shock as she exclaimed, "You're the man in my dreams! The one who saved me from all those demons! But how…how are you here, in the real world?"

"You have a unique gift, Mika, to be able to communicate with spirits from the great beyond. Through your dreams thousands of demons have tried to escape across the border of this world and the next. Your link to the jewel shard has drawn a lot of unwanted attention to yourself. When the first dream happened, I thought that it as a fluke, until I saw you with my sons, the demon slayer, monk and oddly dressed miko. I came to your rescue because I knew that if I didn't your surreal death would be your permanent death," he said as he continued to watch her through the fire.

Mika gazed at her grandfather, not wanting to believe what he was saying, and yet knowing that he spoke the truth. "Why…me? Why is this happening? I don't understand."

Inu no Taisho smiled reassuringly at his granddaughter as he replied, "Your grandmother, Sesshomaru's mother, is connected to the dream world like you. However, she lives in a castle in the sky, away from the corporeal earth to which the spirits are bound."

"So basically, what you're trying to say is that because of the jewel shard, and my inherent abilities to communicate with the dead that I'm a prime target for these demons to attack me so that they can live again?" Mika asked quizzically.

He shook his head a bit before replying, "Yes and no. You have the ability to communicate with not on the dead, but the living as well as those yet to be born through your dreams. The demons have been drawn to you as the portal to the real world by the jewel shard. Once that is out of existence you will still be able to communicate with others without fear of being used as a portal to this world. Kagome should not have given you the jewel shard, she was being rather foolish."

"So I should go put the jewel shard in my truck?" Mika asked, still in a bit of shock of what she had heard.

He shook his head again as he replied, "You don't have time for that right now. A key to your powers is the arrival of the moon. Throughout the night you are able to go into other peoples dreams, pulling them into your own. The strongest time of the month is during a full moon. However, because tonight is a new moon, you'll still be able to reach out to your friends and family because of your bond to them."

As he spoke, Mika realized what he was giving her, and yet uncertain if she was hearing him correctly. "What are you trying to say, Opa?"

"I know that you desire the ability to show your friends and family what you are willing to give up in order to return to them. This gift you have in you, but I will guide you because each group is different and the lurking demons are persistent in their desire to live again. I do suggest taking the jewel from your neck and putting it with your pack."

Mika reached for her rucksack and placed the medicine pouch in an inner, secret pocket, hoping that she would be able to accomplish what she wanted with all her family. Once she returned to her place on her sleeping bag, Inu no Taisho said, "To begin this process, you of course need to be asleep. Go ahead and take your boots and stuff off so that you are relaxed. I will guide you through each of the groups that you will need to pull into your own dream. Be careful of the other demons, for they will still attack you, even though you won't have the jewel shard on your person. I can only interfere if your life is in grave danger, as you've seen previously." Mika took her boots, holster, knife and coat off as she crawled into her extreme weather sleeping bag. She covered herself with a spare wool blanket that she always took on trips as she snuggled into her pillow.

Once she was ready to fall asleep, Inu no Taisho reassuringly smiled at Mika. "Once you're asleep, try to envision this place. It will be the focal point of all the dreams. Here you can bring your friends and family without fear of them wandering off," he said as he added another piece of wood to the fire.

"Will I be able to see my mother?" Mika asked, afraid that she may have over stepped her bounds.

Looking deeply into her blue eyes, he saw the longing for her birth mother as clear as day. "If there's time at the end, you can see her."

Frowning slightly, Mika asked, "What do you mean 'if there's time at the end?' Am I on a time constraint?"

"Remember how I said that the moon enhances your powers?" Receiving a slight nod from Mika he continued, "Your ability to pull others into your dreams is only effective with the rising and setting of the moon. With a new moon it's a bit harder to know when that time frame is. As of a half hour ago you had twelve hours. Time's ticking away and each group has its own unique obstacles to overcome before you can bring them into your own dream."

Mika thought a second before she replied, "I wish that you had told me that sooner. Where do we start, Opa? The sooner I get this accomplished, the sooner I can see my mother." Mika lay back onto her pillow as she closed her eyes, listening to her grandfather's steady breathing and the wolf's panting.

Softly he replied, "The easiest dreams to infiltrate are human dreams. Their defenses are primitive and easily circumvented. Now concentrate on a person, envisioning them in your mind. Follow their essence into their dream."

As Mika drifted off to sleep, the wolf moved closer to the duo. Sitting on her haunches near Inu no Taisho, she gazed intently at the old general with her piercing blue eyes. "I'll watch over her Akane. Don't worry; I'll bring her back before her times up. Help me keep an eye on her body so that the hazards of this world don't interfere." He threw a second log onto the fire, gazing intently at his granddaughter as the wolf lay down next to Mika. Akane laid her head on Mika's chest, listening to her heartbeat. Inwardly she smiled as she watched her daughter.


	20. Kagome's Dream

**Kagome's Dream**

Mika took a deep breath as she thought of her cousin, Kagome, falling into a deep, deep sleep. As she thought of Kagome, she entered a long dark corridor with numerous doors on either side. Slowly Mika was able to pick up Kagome's familiar essence as she continued down the corridor of doors. As she approached the end of the hallway, Mika noticed that one of the doors seemed slightly lighter than the others, as if a huge spot beam was shining on it for a reason. Silently she approached the door, hesitating only for a moment as she touched the door handle. Quickly pulling her wits about her she opened the door to reveal a classroom full of students, with their heads bowed in concentration at the test before them. Mika quickly glanced over the students, spotting Kagome mentally freaking out toward the middle of the room.

As she moved to enter the classroom, Mika felt a cool breeze move past her legs. Looking down at her own attire she noticed Kagome's all too familiar school uniform. "You've got to be kidding ME!!" she screamed in her thoughts.

A voice entered her mind as a ghostly hand laid on her shoulder. "If you don't like it, change it. This is your dream as well," her grandfather replied.

Mika concentrated for a second or three, envisioning a rather business casual appearance of black slacks and light blue short sleeved shirt. As she reopened her eyes Mika saw the clothing change and thought, "That's better, now for my appearance." Mika concentrated a bit to mask her markings before she entered the classroom. Mika quickly looked around the room to see geometric shapes, trigonometry and algebraic equations on the surrounding black boards. "So this must be her math class. I know she's been having problems, but I didn't realize the extent of it." Quickly Mika approached Kagome's math teacher quietly as not to disturb the students taking their test.

Oblivious to the whole event, Kagome mentally cursed herself for not having studied more while in the Feudal Era. "I'm going to kill Inuyasha if I don't pass this test. I'm so far behind that I may never catch up and I won't be able to get into high school with my friends and graduate." She continued to work on the test, hopelessly lost in the complex quadratic equations and trigonometry.

Mika spoke to the teacher in hushed tones as she explained to him that there was an emergency at the Higurashi Shrine and that Kagome was needed at home immediately. "There was an accident and her grandfather was badly injured. I know that she's in the middle of a test, but I'm sure that we can make an arrangement to have her make it up in the near future, say on Friday during lunch?"

The math instructor looked at the struggling girl as he replied, "She's been here for all her other tests, despite the numerous health issues that have plagued her this school year. I'm sure that we'll be able to set her up with a make up exam on Friday."

"That will be perfect. I thank you for your compassion," Mika replied as she bowed to the teacher, showing her respect of him. Leaving his desk, Mika approached Kagome and placed a gentle hand onto her cousin's shoulder. Not expecting the touch nor hearing Mika walk up to her, Kagome let out a small squeak as she jumped out of her chair.

Once she regained her composure, Kagome asked, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the states?"

Mika leaned toward her cousin's ear as she whispered, "It's a long story, one that I'm sure I will be explaining more than once tonight. Just grab your stuff and follow me out the door."

Kagome looked up at her cousin with confusion on her face as she said in a mere whisper, "I'm in the middle of a math test, which I'm probably going to flunk. What are you trying to do, get me failed from this class?"

"Look, I'd like to discuss this out in the hall, if you don't mind. I've already talked to your instructor and he is letting you make this up on Friday. Now please, grab your stuff and let's get going. I'm on a tight schedule," Mika replied in a harsh whisper, trying her best to keep her temper under control and not disturb the rest of the class.

Kagome continued to protest as she quietly packed her bag with her pencils, notebooks and text book. Seeing the frustration, loss and confusion in her cousin's eyes, Mika quickly whispered into her ear, "I'll help you with your homework when I get back. I'm practically a math wiz and can help you in other areas of your studies as well, seeing as I graduated High School last year with a 4.0 grade point average and honors."

Kagome gasped a little, not realizing how smart her cousin was nor did she expect help with her failing grades due to her travels in the Feudal Era. "Thank…you, Mika! I'll greatly appreciate your help. Kami knows that I need it." She grabbed her back pack and followed Mika from the room.

Within a few minutes, Mika and Kagome were walking down the long dark corridor. "Do you mind telling me what is going on?" Kagome asked, breathing heavily as she tried to catch up to her cousin.

Without looking back, Mika replied, "I'm gathering you all into my dream so that I can show you what I'm giving up to be with you. I have only…" Mika glanced at her watch as they continued down the hall. "…I have less than ten and a half hours to get this finished. Hopefully that will be plenty of time, barring any unforeseen complications."

As they continued down the corridor, the scene changed into one of a dark forest. The trees lined the once dark corridor, to form a tunnel of tree branches and leaves. Pushing their way through the mess, Mika picked up on a familiar scent. The hackles on her neck raised as her hands went to the waist of her slacks. Groping for the familiar weight of her buck knife, her fingers found only the fabric of her pants.

"Damn it! What do I do now?" she thought, continuing to lead Kagome through the tunnel, toward impending danger.

The reassuring feeling of her grandfather entered her mind again as he replied to her question, "The same principle applies here as it did in the classroom. No matter what dream you're in, you have control of what you have around you."

"Thank you, Opa," she thought as she concentrated on her knife. Suddenly the familiar weight of the hilt was in her hand and she pulled it from her sheath.

Kagome looked at the knife as they continued down the tunnel, "What's that for? Are we headed toward danger?"

"I'm not sure," Mika replied as the familiar scent changed as they approached the end of the tunnel. Spread out before them was a beautiful mountain lake rimed with trees of both deciduous and coniferous varieties. Near the edge of the lake a demon knelt, getting his fill of water from the glacier fed lake.

As the two girls slowly approached, the demon raised its ugly head as he caught the scent of the hanyou. He looked directly into Mika's eyes as hers went wide in fear and disgust. Moving onto its feet, the bull demon lumbered toward the duo.

"What… the hell… is that?" Kagome stammered.

"That is the demon that I killed with Tetsusaiga," Mika replied flatly, glaring at the one armed demon as he approached.

The bull demon glared at Mika as he approached, "It's so nice to see you, wench. Now if you would please, die." He charged the duo as he snorted and his eyes glazed a red tint. Mika pushed Kagome out of the way as she avoided the onrushing demon.

"Keep out of the way, Kagome! I'm going to try and draw it away. Hopefully I can think of something before this gets out of hand!" Mika yelled as she moved toward the lake, her knife in her hand. Kagome nodded and headed toward the timberline, away from the charging bull demon. As Mika saw Kagome take cover, she quickly thought of ways to defeat the demon. "If only I had my sword," she thought as she moved closer to the lake edge.

"Why can't you have your sword? Is it missing?" a subtle male voice entered her mind. "Remember you're in control of your dreams."

Mika cursed herself under her breath at forgetting the basic rule of this realm. She took up a defensive position on the edge of the lake as she quickly thought of her beloved sword, Nueva Luna and her demonic appearance. The bull demon charged toward the seemingly unarmed girl, oblivious to the sudden appearance of the hilt peeking over her right shoulder. Feeling the familiar weight of her sword across her back, Mika quickly grabbed the claymore and brandished it toward the demon, impaling him upon its length. He gripped Mika around her slender throat, oblivious to the sword protruding from his back.

"I thought I told you to die, wench! Are you having a problem hearing me?" he demanded as he squeezed tighter.

Mika's eyes glazed over as she quickly raised her hands to his face. Her vitriol claws dripped onto his remaining arm as she slashed at his neck, ripping his jugular vein in the process, drenching the young hanyou in blood. As the bull demon sneered at Mika with a death rattle in his throat, he noticed a slight change in the young hanyou. His eyes grew wider as the scent of the hanyou changed to that of a full demon. Mika's eyes flashed open, revealing the vibrant green irises as she snarled at the demon.

"Wh…wh…what… are you?" he chocked out feebly at the horrific creature in front of him.

With a sly smile and a demonic laugh, Mika replied, "Your worse nightmare." She concentrated all of her demonic energy on her blade that still impaled the bull demon. Once the demon realized his predicament, he tried to remove the blade from his gut. Mika released the 'Arctic Dragon' along the blade of her sword, vaporizing the demon into nothing. His screams vanished into the surrounding forest as Mika lowered the sword to the ground, breathing heavily, fighting the demonic urges that flowed through her body.

Kagome withdrew from the tree line, and slowly headed toward her cousin once the bull demon was dispatched. She'd witnessed the cascade of blood from the demon's neck cover Mika, causing her sense of smell to go completely haywire. Slowly, Kagome approached Mika, wondering how to help rid her suffering cousin of the blood smell. Suddenly it dawned on her; the lake was just a few feet behind the hanyou, if there was a way to get her into the water it would wash away the blood. As she quietly approached Mika from a blind spot, Kagome quickly charged the semi conscious girl, launching herself into Mika's chest. As the two girls fell into the water, Kagome pushed Mika further into the water, removing the blood from her face and shirt.

After struggling for a few seconds, Mika came out of the freezing waist deep water, gasping for air and cursing a blue streak. She glared daggers at her cousin as she pushed her bangs from her face. "What the Hell was that for, Kagome?! Are you trying to drown me?" Mika yelled as she slowly made her way out of the freezing water, pushing her bangs from her face.

"I needed to get the blood off you, Mika. It was messing with your system, like Inuyasha, it overpowers you sense of smell," Kagome replied as she hugged her arms around her body, trying to get warm through the drenched school uniform.

Mika listened to what Kagome had said, realizing that she wasn't seeing red any more, nor did she have to fight the demonic urge to kill either. Glancing to the nearly half drowned girl shivering on the bank of the lake, Mika thought, "She was trying to save me." She quickly waded out of the freezing water, toward her equally freezing cousin.

"I'll get a fire going as soon as we get to where we're going. It's not that much farther," she replied. Mika quickly led Kagome toward the creek that poured out of the mountain lake. Beside the creek, roaring was a fire and a couple of logs for stools. Kagome rush toward the fire, enjoying the heat as it radiated from its bright existence. Mika approached the fire with caution, noticing that it vaguely resembled her camp at Opal Lake. As she moved closer, Mika noticed the detail with which the area was laid out.

"This is my camp at Opal Lake!" Mika exclaimed. Kagome looked at Mika with a look of both shock and confusion on her face.

"What are you saying, Mika? What is this place?" Kagome asked as she warmed herself by the fire, still shivering in her wet clothes.

Mika advanced on the camp, moving to the opposite side of the fire from Kagome, reaching for her rucksack. "I mean that this is where I'm camping tonight in north central Idaho. It's a glacier fed lake in the Salmon River Mountains. To think that this is my safe haven in my own mind, I'm glad that I took up hunting with my dad because when I feel at home this is it," Mika reflected. She threw Kagome a spare sweatshirt from the bag and her pajama bottoms. "Put these on so that your uniform can dry by the fire. I also have a couple of blankets that you can wrap around yourself to stay warm."

"Where are you going?" Kagome asked as she quickly stripped from the wet clothes. "It's the middle of the night. And you're dripping wet from your dip in the lake."

Looking at Kagome, Mika replied, "I'll be fine. The cold water is helping cool off my over heated body from that fight. Besides, it will keep me awake for the rest of the night." Mika thought back to what her grandfather had said and quickly glanced back at her watch. "Damn it! I only have ten and a quarter hours left!" she thought to herself. Quickly she moved away from the fire, back toward her sword a distance off as she continued, "I've got to get the others before my time is up. Please stay near the fire; it will burn all night without any fuel. If you get hungry, I think that I have some cheese and crackers in my rucksack, somewhere."

"But… What about the…wild…animals?" Kagome whined.

Mika stopped for a second before she replied, "There's a .44 Magnum under the pillow. Pull back the hammer, aim for center of mass on the animal and squeeze the trigger. The safety is near the hammer, make sure that it is down before you squeeze the trigger, and you'll be fine. The fire normally distracts most animals and the gun will finish them off. You'll be fine."

Before Kagome could protest again, Mika took off in a sprint toward the distant shore where she had taken an unexpected bath. She pulled up short of the sword sticking from the ground. Carefully Mika grabbed Nueva Luna's hilt and sheathed it in one fluid motion, grateful to have the weight across her back. She concentrated her thoughts on the next member of the group as she headed into the timber line of the mountain lake.


	21. Sango's Nightmare

**Sango's Nightmare**

As she entered the tree lined tunnel of the forest, it shifted slightly as she caught Sango's essence. Mika raced toward the demon slayer as quickly as she could while maintaining her connection to the essence. Quickly Mika noticed the erratic movement of Sango, as if she was unsure of where she should be or she was running from something.

"No, not running from it, but toward it," Mika thought as she felt another essence enter the dream, an innocent essence of misery and pain, Kohaku. As she ran toward her friend, she continued to contemplate what the demon slayer's brother's essence was in the dream. Then it dawned on her, "Naraku sent him here to die! But why would he do that? Unless he's testing the theory that if you die in you dreams that you die in reality. I need to stop him from getting killed, or it will all be over for him!" Spurred by the new found evidence, Mika streaked toward the two essences, hoping to stop the bloodshed.

Sango and Kirara flew around the area that she had just spotted her brother. "Kohaku…are you there? Brother…It's me…Sango. Please… come out to me!" Sango yelled into the surrounding dark forest, tears spilling onto her cheeks as her thoughts of her brother flooded her mind.

"I have to find you, brother. You are all that I have left and I don't want to let you go," she thought. Suddenly a horde of demons flew straight at the duo as Sango released her Hiraikotsu on the demons. As the large boomerang sliced through some of the demons, Kirara clawed and bit into more before being caught broadside by a snake demon. She fell heavily onto her side, quickly changing back into a small cat as the venom from the snake bite ran through her body. As Kirara fell from the sky, Sango fell from her friend, landing heavily onto her side as well, losing her Hiraikotsu into a nearby tree. Sango tried to regain her footing quickly, however a twisted ankle prevented her from staying upright. It just would not hold her weight. Seeing the downed demon slayer as easy prey, the demons focused their attacks on her as Mika silently entered the clearing. Taking stock of the situation, Mika whistled toward the demons, getting their undivided attention.

"What do you think you're doing to the demon slayer?" Mika asked, walking further into the clearing toward the demons, with her hands in her pockets, looking as human and innocent as possible.

A huge one eyed demon looked at Mika, taking the 'innocent' bait, failing to notice the hilt protruding over her shoulder, as he replied, "We're here to put her out of her misery. I see that you're just human and easy pickings, so leave before we decide to eat you as well." He turned back toward Sango as the moon slowly moved out from behind a cloud, catching the mother of pearl crescent moon of the pommel of her sword.

Reaching carefully toward her sword, Mika called out to the demons, "Are you willing to bet on that?"

Ugly turned his head back toward the advancing insane human. At first he saw a human dressed in a blue shirt with black slacks raising her arm to her shoulder, and the next he saw her change into black leather with metallic blue armor and the sword over her shoulder. His eye widen in horrific realization to the demon before him. "Yo…you're…you're the witch that killed my brother!" he roared. The attention of the remaining demons changed from Sango to the new threat as Ugly moved threateningly toward Mika.

"Which one was you're brother? I've killed so many demons and don't remember seeing one as ugly as you. Refresh my memory," Mika replied nonchalantly as she pulled her sword from its sheath.

The Cyclops demon charged Mika, swinging his claws at her unprotected stomach. Mika blocked the blow by parrying his claws and slicing deeply into the abdomen of the offending demon. He howled in pain as he swung again, catching Mika across her lower back, leaving four deep nasty scratches across it. Mika yelped at the contact, but continued to attack the Cyclops. The vitriol dripped off her claws, leaving little burn marks in the grass as they fought. Seeing that she was physically weakened from her previous fight, Ugly feigned an attack to the right, drawing Mika toward his strong left arm. Falling for the maneuver, Mika blocked his right arm, but failed to see the left handed upper cut to her chin. Mika reeled back from the force of the punch, loosing her grip on her sword. Seeing his opportunity to be rid of the annoying hanyou, Ugly kept advancing toward the prone figure, a sneer across his lips as he flexed his claws.

"Today, I will taste your life's blood on my lips as you die by my hands," he said as he grabbed Mika by her throat.

Seeing spots in her eyes, Mika gasped for air as the demon brought her closer to his gaping mouth, thoughts of escape eluded her mind. "This is it? This is how I'm going to die?! I don't think so!" she thought as she slowly brought her left hand to his chest. As she felt his teeth a mere hair's width from her neck, Mika shoved her vitriol covered claws into his chest, forcing as much acid into his system as she could. As the claws penetrated his bare chest, Ugly threw the hanyou away from his burning body, screaming in rage and pain as the acid ate his internal organs, flowing through his blood as liquid fire. Unnoticed by either Ugly or Mika, Sango had managed to regain her footing, hobbling precariously closer to the fighting duo.

As the demon screamed, Sango slid her Katana from its sheath and cleaved the demon's head from his shoulders in one fell swoop. "Rot in hell you bastard!" she said as she spat on the writhing corpse. Sango moved closer to Mika's sprawled body as the demon corpse grew rigid and cold as the last few heart beats pumped the vitriol through the body. Once reaching the young hanyou, Sango placed her hand on Mika's chest making sure that she was still breathing.

"Mika…Mika…are you okay?" Sango asked as she gently shook the young woman. When she got a weak groan, Sango started examining Mika for broken bones or sprains. One she was convinced that no bones were broken; she quickly cleaned and wrapped the wounds on her back. A few minutes later, Mika slowly opened her eyes as she realized that Sango had rolled her onto her side so that she could address the wounds on her back.

"How bad do they look?" she croaked, as she shifted a little to a more comfortable position.

Sango finished her wrapping of the wounds as she replied, "They'll heal in a day or two. They were really just superficial, from demon and hanyou perception. Do you feel okay, other than the claw marks?"

Mika slowly moved onto her feet and stretched her arms and legs as carefully as she could without disturbing the wounds on her back. "Everything feels as if I got hit by a Mack truck, but I'll be okay."

"A Mack...what?" Sango asked quizzically, unfamiliar with the term.

Mika shook her head as she recalled what she had said, forgetting the era in which she was traveling. "It's a large cart about the size of a large hut on wheels. They are very common in my era. How are you feeling? Do you feel that you can make it a ways from here to a new, non demon location?" Mika asked as she remembered the reason for taking on the demons.

Sango nodded her head as she replied, "While you were distracting the main demon, I was able to splint my ankle until I could get back to Kaede's village or meet up with the others. Kirara, however, needs some antidote for the snake venom that she was injected with. I know that Kagome always carries some, but I've not seen her for a while." Mika carefully scooped up the two-tailed cat into her arms as they moved from the clearing after retrieving both her Nueva Luna and Sango's Hiraikotsu. Slowly Mika led the way out of the forest back through the tunnel of trees. She assisted Sango as best she could who limped beside her on her good leg, while draping her arm over Mika's shoulder for support.

Once they cleared the timberline, Sango gasped at the beauty of the glacier fed lake as it lapped at the rock strewn shore line. "What is this place? It's gorgeous!" she squealed in delight as the starry sky lighted the area.

"This is Opal Lake. I've come here to go hunting with my father before he passed away. Let's get you to my camp so that we can tend to those wounds," Mika replied in a hushed tone, not wanting to give more away of where they are than she had with her semi statement previously. "Too much information right now is not a good idea," Mika thought as she guided Sango toward the light of the camp fire.

As Mika and Sango approached the camp fire, Kagome shrieked, "You're back! And you brought Sango!" She rushed toward the two women, but stopped short once she saw Mika's bandaged body, helping Sango move toward the fire. "What happened?" she asked as she took Sango's other arm and assisted her to another log by the fire.

"Sango was attacked by a horde of demons while searching for Kohaku. She fell heavily to the ground after Kirara was struck by a snake demon. Speaking of which," Mika replied as she extracted the hurt kitten from around her neck. "She took a bit of snake venom. I think that she should be fine after a little while. I think that there might be some anti-venom in my rucksack some where, in the medical kit. Now if you two will excuse me, I have others that I need to find and bring here." Mika moved away from Sango and Kagome as she looked at her watch, eight hours and counting. "Scheiße, this can't be happening. I'm already running out of strength and I've not even gotten to Miroku yet," she thought as she moved farther along the rocky beach, mentally preparing herself for what she considered a challenge.

As Mika walked away from the two women, Sango looked at Kagome with questioning eye. "What is going on, here? I thought that we were all at Kaede's hut tonight. Why are we here? And how did Mika get here?" Sango asked.

After obtaining the anti-venom from the medical kit, Kagome replied, "I'm not sure. Something about showing us what she is willing to give up for her friends and family. She was kind of vague when she pulled me out of my dream of math class."

Sango arched an eyebrow as she asked, "Math class? Isn't that one of your era's little torture devices like home work?"

Kagome giggled, knowing that her homework and school were the main reasons for her numerous departures from her friends from the feudal era, or a huge fight with Inuyasha when he suffered from the rare 'foot-in-mouth' disease, which flared up on a pretty regular basis. As the night wore on and the two lost sight of Mika, they comforted each other until the next arrival.

Slowly Mika entered the ever present tree lined tunnel as she stretched out her senses for the next member of her party, the hentai. As she stretched out her senses, Mika was knocked back by the monk's spiritual power as if she'd been sucker punched in the gut. "Great…just great! This one doesn't want to be found. I'll just have to approach in a different manner, although I really don't have time for this!" Mika thought. Once she regained her footing and caught her breath, Mika readjusted her senses and gently sought out the monk as a mere whisper, barely making her presence known to the hentai. Once she was locked onto his essence, with a sly smile, Mika quickly followed the tunnel into the darkness.


	22. Miroku's Dream, Mika's Nightmare

**Miroku's Dream and Mika's Nightmare**

Mika followed Miroku's essence into a sparsely populated street in a rather large town. Based on the structures of the surrounding homes, Mika guessed that this was the town of a wealthy war-lord because the wooden huts had been made of better materials and the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite. Before she had left the cover of the timberline, she had adjusted her attire to a more appropriate dress. Her armor and leathers were covered with a light blue haori with a dark blue paisley like design and a dark blue skirt with her demon markings masked as if by makeup while her sword remained over her shoulder as an ever present reminder of the warrior beneath the clothing. Mika had tried to heal her wounds on her back through the same process, however they would not heal. She had been able to adjust the bandages to more modern in appearance, basically gaze and adhesive tape to cover just the back, then masked to her own skin tone.

While Mika took her precious time to mask the wounds, she thought, "Why can't I fix these like my cloths or weapons? Why will they just not disappear?"

As if on queue, a ghostly apparition replied, "For what happens to your dream body happens to your real body. Clothing and weapons are just figments of the imagination that are easily changed as in the real world. I'm sorry to have not forewarned you of this before, Mika."

"Now I know, Opa. Better late than never at least," she replied quietly.

Remembering her grandfathers words, Mika smiled at the remorse she felt in his words. "He truly forgot and that is okay with me. It just means that I'm going to feel like crap for the drive home, unless I sit in Challis for another day. Two days should be sufficient to leave these marks as mere scratches by then," she commented to herself as she entered the town.

As she slowly wandered the town, Mika noticed the essence of Miroku growing stronger as she neared what appeared to be a Geisha house. Carefully she approached the facility, to confirm her suspicions. "Please, let him be anywhere else but here!" she thought as she carefully peered into the establishment. As her eyes fell on the hentai monk as he sipped sake and watched the dancing Geishas, Mika cursed a blue streak at the insensitivity of Miroku, even in his own dreams. "Well, at least I didn't enter a dream that would make 'Hustler' look tame. I'm at least thankful for that. Now, what to do to get him out of here," she thought. Mika slowly circled the building a couple of times before deciding to put more of her 'dream magic' to the test.

Once she approached the building, near the musicians, Mika concentrated on the music being played. It slowly changed from an oriental style to a more exotic form of music. Quickly Mika entered the establishment, concentrating on her appearance before stepping out onto the dance floor currently vacated by the previous dancers. Once her body became in tune with the music, she swiveled and swayed her hips in an erotic fashion focusing her attention on the sole male occupant of the Geisha house, seemingly oblivious to the pain coursing through her back of the recent claw marks. Through pure determination, Mika masked the pain wracking her back with a façade of concentration.

Miroku sipped the sake the previous Geisha had served him as another danced before him. "I thought that this would clear my head of Sango. Yet, all that it does is making me want her more. What is a monk to do?" he thought as he noticed the slight change in music. He glanced to the figure on the dance floor before him and it took his breath away. Sitting a little straighter, Miroku noticed the exotic garb of the dancer, from the loose fitting hip hugger pants to the tight crop top of pinkish material. Across the dancer's taught stomach a crescent moon combined with sun were delicately drawn around her belly button, accentuating the very stomach that it covered. As Miroku's eyes sought the face of the exquisite dancer, he noticed a veil covered the lower half of her face but accentuated her brilliant blue eyes. As she twirled, Miroku noticed the curves of her hips; breasts and the long strawberry blond hair flow around her body as if by magic. The dancer moved closer to Miroku, shimming and shaking all her wares to entice a reaction from the hentai.

As the song came to a close, and Miroku had a hand on her veil, as the other moved to the curve of her hip, Mika said in a mere whisper for his ears alone, "I wasn't kidding about turning you into a eunuch, monk! I'm sure Sango would kill me, but to keep you honest I would in a heart beat."

Miroku pulled his hand quickly away from the veil covering Mika's face as he replied, "In which case, you really shouldn't dance like that in front of men. It has an undesirable reaction that other, less honorable men would want to take out on you." His other hand, as if possessed groped her backside before Mika spun on her heal, thrusting her arm into his chest, knocking him to the ground.

Mika turned back to Miroku, offering her hand to assist the monk to his feet. "Who did you say taught you to move like that? Did Sango teach you this while I was gone?"

Mika smiled as she replied, pulling the monk to his feet. "I've been taking self defense classes in my own time and I see know that they come in handy. As for the belly dancing moves, those were just natural moves I feel that I've always known about." She smiled a bit as Miroku let a brief smile cross his face, a genuine smile, not that of a perverted mind, or was it just a ruse.

Mika removed her veil as she took Miroku's hand and escorted him from the Geisha house. "I appreciate your concern for my honor, Miroku. I know that if I had pulled the same stunt with Koga or Inuyasha, it would not have been pretty. I feel that being thrown over someone's should, similar to that of a bag of rice and a burlap sack would be in order if I had danced for them like that," Mika commented. "Now if you would please follow me, I need to get you with the others before something worse happens." She quickly led him from the town into the every popular tunnel of trees. As the trees began to thin out, a group of five men stepped in front of the duo.

The leader of the group moved toward Mika as a sly smile crossed his face, "Well, well, look at what we have here. I thought that you would be dead by now, wench! Considering the mark you left on me, I'm surprised that my gang didn't kill you out right!"

Mika backed away from the bandits as Miroku asked, "Do you know these men, Mika?" as he took a defensive position before Mika.

"These are the bandits that I killed the first night that I was in the feudal era," Mika replied as she quickly thought of the comforting feel and weight of her armor, leathers and sword.

Before she was able to change, the bandits attacked. The leader and two others took on Miroku in a fast move, holding him down while the other two grabbed Mika's scantily clad arms, pinning them behind her. Mika quickly searched her mind for any maneuver to escape her predicament. As she thought about escaping, the leader quickly knocked out Miroku and approached Mika as a sly, venom filled smile crossed his face.

"I'll take what's mine this time, wench! You won't be able to get out of this." He grabbed Mika and threw her roughly to the ground as he easily pinned her arms above her head as he straddled her chest. Placing his hands around her delicate throat he asked with a vile grin on his face, "Any last words, wench?"

Mika smiled as she replied, "I won't give you the satisfaction of screaming. I also know that history has a habit of repeating itself and I feel that you're about to die!" Unbeknownst to the group, Miroku had regained consciousness, thankful to all those wonderful slaps that his beloved Sango had brought upon his head.

He moved behind the group, taking out the farthest two bandits first with his staff before attacking the leader. Mika saw Miroku move before she was thrown to the ground. She knew that he would assist in dispatching the vile creatures; however she had a score to settle with the leader. In one fluid motion in conjunction with a swing to the leader's head by Miroku's staff, Mika was able to release once of her pinned arms and struck the leader in the chest, burning a gaping hole where her vitriol claws had come in contact with his flesh. A look of shock and horror crossed his face at the realization the Mika had spoken the truth about history repeating itself.

As the bandit died, Mika pushed his weight off her body and regained her footing and composure while leaning against a nearby tree. Once the remains of the bandits' were either unconscious, dead or fleeing for their lives, Miroku slowly approached Mika and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "Is it just me, or do you attract bad karma?"

Mika smiled at the comment as she replied, "No, it's me. I just draw the wrong kind of company to my self. Now if only I could draw in a free steak dinner and a great looking guy, I'd be set."

"Hey…What about me? I'm a great looking guy, if I do say so my self. What am I, a fugu dish?" Miroku asked with a hint of hurt in his voice.

Mika turned on him as she replied, "You're already taken, and I wouldn't want to anger Sango, anymore than I have to. I'm afraid that Hiraikotsu would hurt me more than it does you, if you get my drift. Now let's get going before anymore bad karma comes this way." Mika quickly moved toward the very familiar mountain lake as she led Miroku toward her camp. While they traveled the distance, Mika concentrated on her appearance again before approaching the camp, changing back to her leathers and armor.

As they approached, Mika heard Sango shouting for Miroku and was ecstatic to see that the camp was still in one piece until she heard a curse, slap and crash into the rocky ground. Mika quickly looked back at the group, noticing the immobile form of Miroku lying on the ground near where Sango was sitting.

"What happened to him?" Mika asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to confirm her suspicions.

In her rage, Sango's body shook from pure anger as Kagome replied, "Miroku was doing what he usually did and he tried to apply his hand to Sango's behind, which resulted in him getting hit."

"Even in someone else's dream he can't keep his hands to himself! Why can't he just behave like a normal man?" Sango cried as she continued to sort out what happened.

Mika replied, "You know that if he didn't do that at least once a day, Sango, you would think that he was either sick or that he didn't like you any more. Admit it; if it were your backside versus a stranger's backside, you would rather that he had his hands on you."

Shocked at what Mika had said and the truth of the statement, Sango's face turned bright red as Mika glanced at her watch. "Damn it! I lost another hour just to get into that pervert's mind and now I'm almost running out of time," Mika thought as she moved back toward the tunnel of trees. "I'll be back with another member of the group. Please try not to kill anyone while I'm gone," she called back to Kagome and Sango as she left for the next group member.

As she approached the tree covered tunnel, she thought, "How am I supposed to get into other people's dreams that are not human?"

"The next group of dreams to enter will be the hanyou dreams. Their defenses are a little more guarded than human dreams so their defenses area little more pronounced. Feel for their presence as you did for your human friends. Be careful for the person you seek is very strong and on this night may not take kindly to your intrusion," Inu no Taisho replied as he placed a ghostly hand on her shoulder.

Mika moved her hand to her shoulder and covered his as she asked, "Will he reject me?"

A smile slid across his face as he replied, "No, he's been an outsider for so long. He may be coming out of his shell, but then again, with you being his brother's daughter, I'm not sure. You'd best hurry, for the time is drawing to a fast end."

Mika moved into the tree lined tunnel as she concentrated on the essence of the only other hanyou she knew about. She reached out with her senses until she caught his scent in the breeze. As she quickly moved toward the scent, Mika raced into the unknown, unaware of an unintended intrusion.


	23. Misdirected Intentions

The first part of this is based on a few episodes of the 1st season of 'Inuyasha.' I do not own these episodes, only my interpretation of the events. It helps to get the rest of the chapter some backbone. Enjoy and remember to keep reviewing. Thanks.

**Misdirected Intentions**

Mika followed the hanyou's essence as she left the security of the tree lined tunnel. As the essence became stronger, a second presence made itself felt. At the presence of the second essence, Mika screeched to a halt. "What the Hell?" she thought as the forest changed before her eyes. In the matter of a few seconds the eerie night of the forest was replaced with the bright warm sunlight of early summer. Mika took in the scene before her eyes in wonder as she felt a slight breeze blow by. Quickly she realized that the breeze was caused by someone running past. Mika turned her head slightly and saw a red and white blur moving quickly out of sight. "Inu…Yasha?" she thought as she turned to follow.

"Inuyasha!" rang the voice of a young woman in confusion and pain, both physically and emotionally from behind Mika. Taking her eyes off the fleeing hanyou, Mika turned toward the voice.

"What is going on here?!" she continued to ponder as she took in the young miko who was aiming an arrow, not at Mika but through her, as if she didn't even see the young woman. As the arrow flew, its spiritual powers could be felt as it sailed threw Mika. She screamed as the arrow pierced her chest, but she realized too late that it passed through her body. As if in slow motion, Mika turned her head, following the path of the arrow as it struck Inuyasha in the chest, pinning him to the 'tree of ages.'

"Ki…Kikyo…How could…I thought…" Inuyasha said as the effects of the sealing arrow took hold. Mika saw the look of betrayal cross his face to be replaced by one of peace. She turned back to the miko as she slowly approached the jewel Inuyasha had dropped. It was then that Mika realized the fatal wound in Kikyo's chest and shoulder as the blood trailed on the ground like a morbid wake. Mika sniffed the air a few times, before she realized her blood lust wasn't kicking in as in previous encounters with the substance, considering the amount of blood on the ground.

"This must be a memory from a series of events from the past. But who's memories?" Mika thought as the scene before her changed again to reveal a high mountain pass, covered in rocks. She turned to the commotion behind her as she became aware of the essences of Inuyasha and the interloper.

"Not again! Who is doing this to me?" Mika screamed in her thoughts as she turned and saw Inuyasha, a newly reborn Kikyo and Lady Kaede, on the pass behind her. As she moved closer to hear what was being said, she noticed the young miko kneeling in front of an old demon crone, using her spiritual powers to kill the old witch.

"Inuyasha…Why are you still alive? I bound you to a tree with a sacred arrow," the young priestess said as the same confusion, hurt and betrayal flowed through her words.

"Yeah, you sure did," Inuyasha replied defiantly. "And I stayed there for fifty years. As you can see I'm alive and ready to take you on again."

The young woman looked him in the eye as she replied, "You vile beast. I despise you. You loathsome half man…" She cried out in pain, clutching her right shoulder as blood appeared stained her white haori, trailing down her arm to land in a puddle on the dirt ground at her feet.

"Got a problem, Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, credulously.

As she pulled her blood covered hand from her shoulder, Kikyo yelled, "Why did you betray me, Inuyasha?"

Taken aback by her words he asked, "What's going on? Where's all that blood coming from?"

Kaede calmly replied, "Look closer, Inuyasha. Is that not the fatal wound ye inflicted on Kikyo?"

"I inflicted?!" he exclaimed, "What are you saying? That I was the one who killed Kikyo?"

Kaede replied, "Yes, it was your wounds that sealed her fate and ensured her demise."

He wracked his brain as he replied, "There must be a mistake of some kind! I didn't kill her. I don't even remember wounding her!"

"Can ye be certain? These wounds did not come from your hand? Think hard, try to remember. If…if not you than who slew my sister?"

Listening to the conversation between Lady Kaede and Inuyasha, Kikyo smiled slyly as she commented, "You are even more vile than I thought, inventing such feeble excuses. Please, it is most unflattering, Inuyasha. Stop it!" As she regained her composure, fighting the pain in her shoulder she spoke again, "Inuyasha, do you not remember when you told me you wished to become human?"

"Impossible! He wishes to become a demon," Kaede retorted.

Unfazed by the outburst, Kikyo continued, "You said you would become human. I believed your words that day. I carried the Shikon jewel and went to you."

"But Kikyo, I can't believe that Inuyasha would have committed such a heinous crime," Kaede replied in his defense.

"Are you suggesting that I was the one who betrayed you?" Inuyasha replied quietly, almost as if in a whisper as he returned his attention to Kikyo.

"You know it's true. That is why I summoned up the last vestiges of my strength and bound you to the tree with my sacred arrow," she replied as se moved closer to him. "Inuyasha…"

"Kikyo…"

"You and I were fated never to meet again," she said as she placed her hands on his arms, as if in a loving embrace. As her hands clamped on his haori, she sent her spiritual powers into the hanyou, causing Inuyasha to scream in pain, throwing him several feet from Kikyo. He landed heavily onto his chest groaning in pain.

Kaede implored to Kikyo, "Stop this assault, Kikyo."

Looking at the old woman before her, she snarled, "Who are you?"

"I'm your younger sister Kaede. My looks have altered because fifty years have passed since your demise."

"Then explain why you would speak on Inuyasha's behalf?" When no answer was give, Kikyo took Kaede's bow. "Give me this," she said as she notched an arrow. Inuyasha, having regained some of his strength, leapt from his knees as Kikyo let fly a sacred arrow. It blasted a whole in the rocks where moments before he had lain.

Kikyo turned back to her sister, "Kaede…" as she went to retrieve another arrow.

"You must stop this madness. Inuyasha is not your enemy!" Kaede replied as she eluded her sister.

"Open your eyes. You too have been taken in by this deceitful monster."

"You are mistaken," Kaede retorted.

"Hand me your arrows," Kikyo demanded.

"I will do no such thing!" Kaede replied defiantly.

"Kaede…show loyalty to your flesh and blood! Not to some deviant lying half breed. Hear the demand of your elder sister and give me those arrows."

"Sister…" Kaede pleaded as Kikyo grabbed the quiver, pushing her sister aside.

Turning back to Inuyasha she continued her verbal assault. "You told me you wished to become human," Kikyo said as she drew the bow again, aiming at Inuyasha. "You told me you wished to be with me."

"Wait… Kikyo… I meant every word," Inuyasha replied, trying to reason with the crazed miko.

"Liar, I was a fool beyond compare for believing your far fetched tales and wishing to live together with you. I despise you with my last breath. My spirit cannot forget that all consuming hatred so long as you live. My spirit cannot be freed."

As she held the motionless form of Kagome, Kaede said, "Inuyasha, you must destroy my sister's body at once. This rebirth is nothing but deceit. Destroy her body and release the soul from within."

"It's futile. I shall not return to that body until I've carried out my revenge on this murderous beast. Inuyasha, you are the one shall die!" Kikyo let fly her sacred arrow, aimed straight for his chest. Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga, holding the arrow at bay, but only temporarily. Once the arrow's spiritual powers overwhelmed the demon blade, it passed beneath the blade, seeking the hanyou's heart.

Mika watched in horror as she witnessed the arrow seek her uncle's unprotected heart. "Run…Inuyasha!" She screamed in unison with Kaede, knowing that he'd never hear her.

Inuyasha screamed as the arrow tore threw his haori, piercing the skin of his chest with spiritual energy. His screams vanished as the scene before Mika changed yet again to the comfort of black before her eyes. The wind picked up slightly as the scene revealed trees in the moonlight, swaying too and fro.

"This is getting irritating. I hope there's a point to these intrusions," Mika thought. She easily picked up on the essence of Inuyasha and the ever present interloper. "I'm really getting irritated at this other presence. I hope that this is the last time it interferes with my mission. And make itself known so that I can dispatch it if that is what it really wants," Mika thought as she followed the combined essences to a huge clearing.

There in the clearing surrounded by trees, Mika witnessed Inuyasha hold onto his first beloved, Kikyo, as her soul collectors twisted and turned around the open area. He wrapped his arms around the undead Miko holding on to her for dear life. As the scene unfolded, Mika realized that this was another memory of events from the past, an event that caused her cousin great heartache. She looked to the tree behind the lovers and noticed a faint outline of a girl struggling to call out to her love, but failed to be heard due to the soul collectors wrapped around her.

"So this is what caused Kagome so much heart ache, Inuyasha promising to go to Hell with the clay pot witch. What does he see in her?" Mika thought as the scene continued to unfold before her. Suddenly, Mika realized what the point to all the memory quests were about. Unable to stop this memory, she continued to watch, waiting for her moment to approach the interloper and confront the wench who was responsible for the heartache Mika had to witness. She noticed from her vantage point how Kikyo had begun to drag Inuyasha into the great void of death beneath their feet as once again Kagome found her voice.

"Inu…Yasha!" she screamed, pulling the semi conscious hanyou back to conscious thoughts.

"That's Kagome's voice. Kagome…Is she…here?" he asked slowly, not really sure of what was going on around him. As he looked around the clearing, his eyesight became clearer as he focused on a nearby tree that Kagome was sitting next to, entwined by a soul collector. "Kagome…Kagome!" he called out as he leapt from the newly formed hole, away from the undead miko.

Mika saw the look of lose and longing on Kikyo's face as Inuyasha moved closer to Kagome, unable to hear what was being said, Mika focused on Kikyo. "She looks so sad. I almost feel sorry for her," Mika thought as the lost souls and soul collectors converged on the miko.

Once she regained her strength through the stolen souls, Kikyo stood up, looking longingly toward her lover. "Does that girl mean more to you than I do?"

Inuyasha looked toward Kagome, at lose for words as they both slightly blushed, then looked back to Kikyo. Taking the lack of an explanation as her answer, Kikyo, entwined in her soul collectors drifted into the sky, away from Inuyasha and Kagome.

Inuyasha raced toward her retreating body, as he called out, "No…wait, Kikyo… Listen to me!"

With a sad look on her face and a heavy heart Kikyo replied, "Inuyasha…Never forget. Remember the feel of my lips against yours…for it was real." As she floated away from the clearing her words of "Never forget" reverberated through the trees.

Once Kikyo's form faded into the distant dark tree line, "Goodbye, Kikyo," passed from Inuyasha's lips as a mere whisper, Mika turned toward the object of her original quest, lost in thought as to how to approach her uncle.

"Great, this one is more complicated than I thought it would be. I'll be back for him once I've dealt with this interloper. This will be her last time of interfering with my family," Mika thought as she quickly picked up the scent of graveyard soil and death. On fleet feet, Mika quietly and quickly moved through the dark forest in search of the person who put her through all horrid memories of hate, deceit and lose.

Once she found the undead clay pot, Mika screeched to a halt a few feet from the base of the tree the miko lay in, surrounded by her soul collectors. Mika slowly moved closer, leaving her hand on the hilt of her buck knife, sheathed at her back, unsure of the undead miko.

"Why have you followed me?" Kikyo asked without looking at the young inu-ookami hanyou.

Mika moved closer to the tree, looking up into the limbs at the miko. "I followed to find out why you pulled me into your twisted memories? What purpose does it have?"

Kikyo moved slightly, moving her bangs from her face as she glared at the young woman. A sly smile crossed her face as she replied, "What makes you think that you were the intended target? Could it have been possible that they were meant for Inuyasha? What were you doing in his dreams any way?"

Mika thought back to what her grandfather had said about defenses as she replied, "I'm just making sure that he was okay with my leaving. Apparently you're his defense against intruders."

With a laugh, Kikyo slid from the tree moving toward Mika as she said, "I'm just as much an intruder here as you are." Once she moved close enough to nearly touch the armor covered chest of Mika, her demeanor changed from serious to deadly. "Who are you and why have you infiltrated his dreams?" she demanded.

Pulling her knife from its sheath, bringing it to a defensive position, Mika replied, "I'm his niece. As to my purpose for being here… that is none of your damn business, witch. I'd kindly appreciate it if you would leave this place and stay away from him in the real world."

"Why is that?" Kikyo asked slyly as she moved closer to the hanyou, intent on doing the young woman harm.

Mika, noticing the slow, barely discernible forward movement of the miko, replied, "From your own memories of previous encounters with Inuyasha, all you've ever caused him is pain. His heart and soul is a mess because of your interference. If you don't leave him be, witch, I'll personally guarantee your permanent death." She dodged the upraised arm of the miko split seconds before Kikyo was able to place a hand to the young woman's chest to purify the demon.

As she moved with lightning speed, Mika brought her knife to bear on the unprotected white, delicate neck of the undead priestess, she whispered in Kikyo's ear, "Mess with my family and I'll make you regret every minute of it." She applied slight pressure of the well honed blade to the miko's neck, leaving a faint line of blood trickle in its wake. "That is just a taste of what I can do. Now be gone from this dream or face the consequences." Mika pushed the undead priestess from her body, distancing herself from Kikyo.

Slowly, Kikyo placed a delicate hand to her neck, withdrawing it to see the blood smeared on her finger tips. She laughed as she replied, "Is that the best you can do, you miserable excuse of a demon. Do you not know who I am?"

"As if I care, witch!" Mika scoffed, reaching for her sword as the miko's face changed from serene to almost horrifying in a few heart beats.

Pulling herself to her full height, Kikyo stated, "I'm the powerful priestess, Lady Kikyo, guardian of the Shikon no Tama. I've killed so many demons after the jewel that I've lost count. If it was not for the supposed betrayal of Inuyasha through Naraku, we would have been together and happy. How dare you tell me what to do, wench, for I am his one and only true love! I will not be denied my right by his side! No one, not even you can prevent me from having him!" As she spoke those words, her anger and spiritual powers increased exponentially. In her hands, as if by magic, a bow and arrow appeared. In one fluid motion, Kikyo aimed, shot and fired the arrow at Mika, sending with it as much spiritual power as she could force into such an object. "Die… wench!"

Mika, seeing the impending danger as the arrow flew, quickly pulled her sword, to fend off the projectile. Suddenly she remembered the same tactic used by Inuyasha and the result of the arrow purifying the demonic blade, retuning it into its rusted form. "Scheiße, this is not going to be good. Now what do I do?" Mika quickly took in her surroundings until it was too late. The sacred arrow pierced her left shoulder at the junction of the armor and leather, sinking deeply into her flesh. Mika screamed in pain as the spiritual powers purified her demonic spirit, returning her to her human form.

As she moved her right human hand to her shoulder to pull the arrow out, Mika looked at Kikyo with murder in her eyes. "That was a mistake. If he didn't have feelings for you, witch, I'd kill you right here… right now. But unfortunately, I can't do that, now that you shot me."

The look on Kikyo's face changed from one of superiority to that of confusion as her sacred arrow purified the demonic aura of the woman before her. "You're…you're a…"

"Hanyou… Yeah, I thought that it was pretty obvious, but you were too engrossed in your own self importance to take that into consideration. Now just leave before I regain my powers," Mika replied, as she broke the shaft of the arrow in her attempt to remove it from her shoulder. Cursing her rotten luck under her breath, Mika regained her footing, still a little leery of the miko who had yet to make a move.

Kikyo stared at the hanyou as she regained her footing, fighting the urge to blackout from shock at being struck with the arrow. "How can this be? Who are you? Why are you so adamant about keeping me from Inuyasha?" she asked quietly, almost to herself than to her intended recipient.

Clutching at her shoulder, Mika replied, "Because you don't deserve him. In the memories that I was dragged through, you were trying to kill him, not once or twice, but three times! What woman in her right mind, who claims that they love a man with all their heart, kills the man of their dreams? Some say that love makes the heart grow fonder, and yet another says if you love them, let them go. His heart has been mended from not only your betrayal, but from his years of living alone. He finally has a life worth living, that doesn't include you." Mika closed her eyes as a wave of pain and nausea threatened to make her pass out.

"Your words have a lot of meaning. I'll take them into consideration, now be off before anything else happens to you," Kikyo replied, deep in thought at Mika's words, as she moved away from the clearing, leaving the injured hanyou to fend for herself.


	24. Inuyasha's Dream

**Inuyasha's Dream**

Mika struggled to remain upright as the form of Kikyo moved from her field of vision. "This is not good. Not good at all," Mika thought as she felt the shaft of the arrow in her hand, probing the wound for the arrow head. Quickly realizing that she was going to need assistance, Mika used the remainder of her strength and stretched out her senses to find the essence of her uncle. Faintly, she felt his presence; unfortunately her senses were becoming weaker as the arrows effects continued to purify her body.

Gritting her teeth, she moved in his general direction, following a faint path as she jogged slowly toward his retreating essence. As she neared where her senses told her he was, her vision became blurry, causing her to stumble over an exposed tree root. She landed flat on her face, driving her injured shoulder into the ground. A horrific scream of pain roared from her lips into the surrounding forest, reverberating off the trees and flowing into the calm night sky.

"Damn it! This really hurts," her thoughts screamed in her mind as she gingerly lifted her shoulder from the ground. Mika rolled to her uninjured side as she moved her hand to her shoulder, feeling for the arrow. Letting out a sigh of relief, Mika realized that the impact with the ground had shoved the remainder of the arrow through her shoulder to the back side. Mika reached around, realizing too late that by removing the arrow, she had released a torrent of blood. As the blood flowed down her arm, black spots began to appear before her eyes.

"Not now! Not this way! I don't have time for this… I've got to… got to… find…Inu…Yasha!" she spoke out loud, losing to blood lose, shock and consciousness. Her head slowly moved to the soft forest floor as her eyes lost focus as a red blur appeared before her and then everything went black.

"Mika…Mika!" Inuyasha cried out as he took in the sight of his unconscious niece. As a result of her blood curdling scream, Inuyasha raced to her from a great distance to be by her side. "What happened to you?" he asked the unconscious girl as he took in her human appearance as well as her bloody shoulder. As he bent down to examine the wound, he saw the bloody broken arrow in her hand. "How did this get here?" he thought as he brushed a few strands of black hair from his face.

Quickly, Inuyasha picked up the young woman and carried her to a near by stream. He carefully removed her shoulder armor, and took her knife to carefully slice the stitching of the shoulder seam of her top to expose the wound. Seeing the extent of the wound and that it was kept mostly clean by her armor and top, Inuyasha took Mika's knife to his white undershirt, cutting some of the hem into bandages. He worked the unwieldy blade cursing at the New Moon as he cut the strips. Carefully, Inuyasha washed her shoulder, making sure to remove the dried blood and dirt from the area, before applying the make shift bandages to her shoulder. Once he had completed his gruesome task, he took the remaining strips and pulled her injured arm across her chest, tying it into place to prevent any movement of the shoulder while it healed.

"There… That should take care of your shoulder. Now I just wish that there was a way to wake you up and find out what happened. I know that you're not really here, Mika, and that this is a dream, but damn it why is it that I always get stuck fixing you up?!" he said to the supine figure before him. As if by magic, Mika began to groan as she slowly regained consciousness.

Remembering where she was at, her eyes flew open as she tried to move her body in an upward direction, only to be thrown back to the ground by the pain in her shoulder and the strong hand of Inuyasha. "Who…who are you?" Mika asked between gasps of air as she tried to breath through the waves of pain from her shoulder. Her eyes remained unfocused as she regained consciousness and the figure before her was foreign with long black hair and hard brown eyes. The facial features of the man before her were as blurry as the white shirt he wore, just one extremely blurry figure.

"Have I changed that much that you can't recognize me?" Inuyasha scoffed at the girl.

Mika, at hearing her uncle's voice knit her eyebrows together in a look of confusion for the blurry image didn't look anything like Inuyasha. She clearly recalled his silver hair and amber eyes, the man before her was an imposter and despite her human body and injured shoulder and back, she was determined to kill the imposter. As she slowly moved onto her uninjured side, keeping her injured shoulder as still as humanly possible, Mika addressed the imposter, "You are NOT my uncle! You may sound like him but you are most defiantly NOT him! You're an imposter sent by Naraku to fool and deceive me. For this you must die!!!" She screamed the last sentence, as her eyes slowly regained focus, taking in more detail of the man before her.

Inuyasha, confused at his niece's reaction also regained his footing, to defend himself and protect her from further injury. "Listen to me Mika! If I was an imposter as you believe, than why the Hell would I have fixed up your shoulder?" he said, trying to rationalize with the confused hanyou before him.

"Just to gain my trust and then stab me in the back, like Naraku would have you do!" she replied, gaining a little more focus and noticing for the first time the face before her. As she moved her good hand toward her Buck knife's sheath her thoughts focused on the man's face before her, "He looks so much like Inuyasha, even his temper and mannerisms, and yet I just can't get past the features, the black hair… the brown eyes! Am I going mad or is this really my Uncle?" Her thoughts raced as her hand rested on the surprisingly empty sheath. "What the Hell?? Where did my knife go?" she thought, as the brief look of surprise crossed her pained blue eyes.

Taking the look as a queue, Inuyasha produced the knife for Mika to see as he held it in front of him by its blade, hilt pointed toward her. "I believe that this is what you're looking for. Since I lose my demon abilities this night, I had to borrow your blade to mend your shoulder. Now do you believe that I'm who I say I am?" Inuyasha asked as he offered the knife to its owner.

Mika thought a moment before responding, thinking of a question only the true Inuyasha would know, "What is a Mack Truck?"

Taken aback by the bizarre question, Inuyasha huffed before responding. "It's a large vehicle that, according to Kagome, moves large amounts of goods. Now why the stupid question?" he sneered at the woman, wishing that she would take her stupid knife already.

Mika relaxed her guard, which she just then realized that she had up, as she moved to take her precious blade. "I knew that only the real Inuyasha would know something about modern items," she said as she took the hilt of her knife and carefully placed it back in its sheath at her back. Mika looked into her uncle's eyes, seeing the concern in his face and something else. "What am I seeing here? Love… Remorse… Caring… I'm not sure, but I don't think that he knows himself," she thought as she looked into the chocolate brown eyes, drinking in his soul as if it was life itself.

Inuyasha, seeing the physical pain in her eyes, slowly enveloped the young hanyou into his arms, careful of her shoulder to try and relive her of the pain. "I'm sorry that you were hurt. I should have been here to prevent this from happening," he commented in a mere whisper into her hair.

"This was not your fault, Inuyasha. Don't blame yourself for something that you knew nothing about and had no control over. I just underestimated my opponent and she got the better of me is all." She pulled back slightly to look deeply into his eyes, as she continued, "Don't go blaming yourself for this. You didn't even know that I was here until I screamed. Now let's be off to the others so that I can get this wretched night over with before anymore wounds befall this body of mine." She smiled briefly as she tried to pull herself from Inuyasha's embrace.

Refusing to let her go, he forced her eyes back to his as he softly demanded, "She… your opponent was a woman? Who was she, Mika? Was it… Kikyo?"

Mika looked away, to the broken arrow at her feet. "What if it was? What will you do? Will you go after her and avenge my injury or would it be to see if I gave her a hell of a fight?"

Bile rose into Inuyasha's throat as he thought of his niece being hurt by the hands of his first love. "That explains a lot, such as your human appearance. Apparently she didn't want to kill you, only purify your demon side for a bit," he murmured, taking in the stiffness of Mika as he left the rest of her questions unanswered. His mind raced as he thought about the pain that she went through, not only the physical pain of the arrow through her shoulder, but the purification of her demonic aura. He greatly recalled the pain on Mt. Hakurei as its spiritual powers purified him before his final battle with Bankotsu and Jakotsu.

Mika replied just as softly to her uncle, unable to reassure him, "I don't think she knew what I was when she fired her arrow at me. She was pretty pissed when she let the arrow fly. I guess that I can thank my father for being such a strong demon that the purifying arrow didn't actually kill me." She pulled a little harder from her uncle's grasp, nearly falling over as his grip slackened on her upper arms. Once she regained her composure, Mika quickly looked around the area, taking note of the stream and that it looked vaguely familiar. She followed it for a bit, noticing the crunch of gravel as Inuyasha followed her, still deep in thought.

Once she followed the creek to the tunnel of trees, Mika let out a sigh of relief. "At least my sense of direction is still in affect, or else this night would be over and I wouldn't have accomplished a thing," she thought as she entered the tunnel, grateful for its welcoming darkness, knowing that it would lead her 'home' to safety and security.

"What is this place?" she heard Inuyasha ask from behind her.

Mika continued walking as she replied, "This is the path to my dream, where the others are waiting for us. Now can we please hurry, I'm on a limited amount of time and can't afford anymore interruptions." Mika picked up her pace a bit, only to nearly trip over an unseen tree root. Despite his human appearance, Inuyasha moved quickly to her side before she fell, injuring her shoulder yet again and grabbed her around the waist.

"Here, let me help you before you get hurt again," he said, picking her up bridal style, careful to put her good shoulder to his chest. "Just tell me where to go and we'll get there faster than if we walk."

Mika's look of shock was short lived as Inuyasha took off at a run toward the end of the tunnel. From her vantage point in his arms she could feel the lean muscles beneath the fabric of his haori and she could tell that despite his demon blood that he was a pretty fit individual. "To bad I'm related to him or else I'd ask him out on a date. Wait… What am I saying?!!! Kagome would kill me!!! Man, I wish that just once, I could find some one like this in my own time," she thought as she enjoyed the ride.

Once Inuyasha had exited the tunnel, Mika directed him toward the fire a good quarter mile from their present location. In spite of her directions, Inuyasha had seen the fire and knew the others were there, although he was still a bit perplexed as to why and how Mika was able to do this. "She's in 'I-da-hoe' right? That place that she called 'the States?' Then why is she here, in my dreams as if she were in feudal Japan?" he thought moving quickly to the fire and its occupants.

After they arrived at the campsite, Kagome and Sango immediately grabbed Mika to examine her wound, surprised yet again that she was in another battle and had gotten injured. "What were you thinking, taking on Kikyo?" Kagome shrieked after Mika gave the 'cut and dried' version of the fight, failing to mention her subtle threat to the clay pot.

"I didn't realize who she was at the time, but now I'll be more careful of who tangles with me. Now if you two will please leave me be so that I can finish this mission," Mika whined as she slowly moved off her sleeping bag and headed out toward the tree lined tunnel yet again.

Inuyasha accidentally placed a hand on her injured shoulder to stop her from leaving. As the stab of pain coursed from her shoulder to her brain, Mika quickly twisted her body to the left and back as she leveled her right elbow toward his chest. Unable to move out of her vicinity in a quick fashion because of the pure shock at the attack, Inuyasha took the full force of her blow to his chest, dropping him like a sack of Idaho russets to the rock covered ground.

"Don't ever touch my shoulder again!" she screamed at his supine body as he rolled to get back to his feet. "At least not until its healed," she continued softly, almost as if she regretted hitting him, yet again.

As he moved back to his feet, Inuyasha glared daggers at the injured hanyou. "Where the hell do you think you're going? I just brought you back here because you said we had to come back here to the others. Now you want to run off again. Injured on top of that!!! What the Hell are you thinking?" he yelled, trying hard to rein in his temper.

Mika spun as she addressed the angered man before her. "For your information, Inuyasha, I've been in four battles this evening and have been injured in some way, shape and form from all four. I have two more people to get before this night is over and I have less than…" she paused to look at her still ticking watch. "I have less than four hours before my time is up. Now I suggest that you take your backside back to the fire, wait with the others for my return." Mika turned back toward the tunnel as her words slowly sunk into his dense skull.

Moving back toward his niece, he called out, "If you leave now, I'm going with you. You can barely defend yourself in this condition."

Calling from over her shoulder she replied, "And you can protect me with your great sword?"

As he stuttered for an answer, knowing that she was right, Mika replied, "That's what I thought. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have some demons to catch." She moved closer to the tunnel as Inuyasha stared defiantly toward the young woman.

"Man, she really knows how to needle me, just like that bastard, Sesshomaru. Is it freaking hereditary?" he thought as he slowly moved toward her retreating form, determined to follow her into the unknown.

"Inu…Yasha!" Kagome called to the retreating hanyou. "You follow her and I'll 'sit' you into oblivion." However at the word 'sit' he face planted roughly into the lake shore, leaving a good six inch prone body imprint in the sand and rocks. "Sorry about that," she called out from the fire, silently giggling to herself at the position of Inuyasha as he cursed the beads around his neck.

Mika approached the tunnel again, sighing as she thought about her next task. "Okay, Opa… Can you explain how do I get to my demon companions?" as she called out into the night.

As his ghostly apparition appeared at her shoulder he replied, "Demonic dreams are the hardest to enter. Beware their defenses, although harmless the may seem, they are as formidable as the demons that you seek."

Mika looked at the kind old man, as she replied in a mere whimper, "Opa, have you not seen the beatings that I have taken tonight? I'm down to one arm, my back is like Swiss steak, and I know that I'm going to feel this in the morning. Is there anyway else to do this without anymore fighting?"

Inu no Toshio turned his loving amber eyes to his granddaughter, seeing for the first time the bandages on her shoulder due to the missing shoulder armor and noticed the return of the bandages wrapped around her stomach and covering her back. "I wish that there was another way, but take solus in that these demons are very powerful in their own right and that others will not interfere, as they did in the previous dreams."

Mika flashed her grandfather a smile as she entered the tunnel once again, stretching her senses toward the essence of her wolf demon uncle. Once she was able to catch it, Mika quickly rushed toward the black void, hoping against hope that her grandfather was right and that other demons would not interfere. She didn't know how much more her body could take.


	25. Koga's Dream, Inuyasha's Nightmare

**Koga's Dreams and Inuyasha's Nightmare**

Mika exited the tunnel and screeched to a halt mere inches from the edge of a cliff. "Where…where am I?" she thought as she looked down the face to a winding river below. Looking around the area by the light of the stars, Mika realized her tunnel had led her to a mountain path sparsely populated with trees. She looked out over the cliff admiring the view of the surrounding area before heading up the trail to the caves above. As she gazed out over the cliff face, Mika grew more amazed at the view before her.

The moon shimmered on the thin sliver of river as it flowed from a nearby waterfall to coil its way to the sea. As she gently breathed the clean mountain air, she was able to identify most of the scents from the surrounding forest and allowed it to clean her weary body, as a natural form of aroma therapy. Closing her eyes, Mika listened intently to the sounds of the night, the harmonious violin music of the crickets serenading the meals of the nocturnal creatures, the screech of an owl on the hunt for a midnight snack, the snap of a twig as the rabbit dinner scampered down its hole, and the faint squabbling of two wolves over… who was suppose to be on guard duty? Mika's eyes snapped open as the arguing wolves moved closer into view.

"I knew that this peaceful moment would inevitably come to an end," she thought as she turned her attention to the approaching wolves.

"I thought Koga told you to go on guard duty four hours ago and that I was to relieve you?" a humanoid wolf demon with a white strip of hair across the top of his head said to his as yet unseen companion.

Shortly the second man, with short white and black hair appeared near the first, replied, "I thought he wanted both of us out on patrol tonight. Something about his feelings of impending doom, if I recalled."

"Well, Ginta, I think it had more to do with what was going on in his portion of the cave as to his reasoning to get rid of us for the night. Nothing has been around here since the harpies were cleaned out and with our numbers dwindled due to Kagura's attack, there's not much to patrol anymore," the demon with the Mohawk explained.

Ginta looked at his companion as he replied, "I'm beginning to agree with you Hakkaku. Now let us find a nice place to sleep until morning. We'll just tell Koga that we were on patrol all night and he wouldn't be the wiser."

"Yeah, except that I don't think he's as stupid as you two make him out to be," Mika replied from the path.

Both demons, shocked at the unexpected presence sprung into action. One thrust a pike at her, leaving the point aimed at her throat as the other leveled a sword toward her. "State your business here, human!" Hakkaku said, as fear laced through his command.

Mika gently moved the pike's blade from her throat with her good hand as she replied, "I've come to speak with Koga, leader of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe. Is there a problem or will I have to resort to violence?" To emphasize the question, she raised her remaining hand to the sword over her shoulder.

"It is late and he would not be up for a visit just now. It is customary to come in the morning or during day light hours. You're lucky to have dealt with us, for other guards would have attacked first and asked questions later," Ginta replied, easing his sword down a bit, but still kept it at the ready just in case there was a problem.

"I can't wait until morning; I need to speak with him now!" Mika continued forward, moving past the two slack jawed demons as she replied, "I will see my uncle and you cannot stop it."

"M…Mi…Mika?" the two demons stammered as they stared in the wake of the defiant hanyou.

Ginta looked at his companion as he asked, "That was Mika, right?"

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure because that's the same armor that she had on before she left after the fight with Sesshomaru. But what happened to her appearance and her arm? She looks human and injured," Hakkaku replied.

Then all of a sudden both wolf demons' eyes got really big as one thought hit them at the same time, "Koga is going to KILL us! We'd better stop her!!"

Mika slowly approached the cave opening, marveling still at the beauty of the valley below in the calm depths of night. "I could stand out here for hours, just staring at the country side. And to think that Koga gets to do this every night, I guess this makes him a pretty lucky wolf," Mika thought as she was about to enter the cave before her.

"Stop!!!!" the two wolf demons pleaded as Mika was about to step foot into the cave. Mika turned to face the men as she started to pull her sword from its sheath.

"He'll kill us if we allow you to pass, Mika," Ginta said as he tried to catch his breath.

Mika returned her sword to the sheath, and grabbed her Buck knife instead. As quickly as she could move without injuring her shoulder, Mika knocked out the two demons, dropping them at the foot of the mouth of the cave. "I said that I needed to see him tonight you idiots. Now it's not my fault if you wake up with headaches in the morning and a major butt chewing," she said to the unconscious men at her feet. Turning once again to the cave, Mika quickly entered and moved toward the back to where she heard some sounds coming from the blackened depths.

Mika closed her eyes as various mental images crossed her mind. "Great, this is the one that makes 'Hustler' look tame. Now to get his attention without barging in," Mika thought. Looking back at the pile of unconscious wolf demons, a sly smile crossed her face.

"Koga…KO…GA!!!" Ginta's voice called from the hide covered entrance.

"You have a visitor!" Hakkaku's voice followed.

From behind the hide covered door, Koga could be heard cussing the timing of the two as he scrambled out of bed. A female voice could be heard, whining that he ignore the two ingrates and stay in bed. "Couldn't it wait until morning?!" he demanded roughly, ignoring the whining female, as he pushed the hide aside, expecting to crack some skulls for the interruption. As his eyes moved from the dirt floor of the cave up a pair of leather clad legs, a bandaged covered stomach, leather and armor enclosed chest to the pale human face and pained blue eyes of a woman a look of shock crossed his face.

"M…Mi…Mika? Is that you?" He stammered as the shock of his niece's appearance sunk in.

As he stepped from behind the hide, Mika glanced from the deeply tanned muscular chest, to the piercing blue eyes, noticing briefly his dark brown hair hanging down his back, free from its usual pony tail, as she replied, with a slight smile, "Who else would show up this late at night?" Mika leaned heavily on a nearby wall as the exertion of manipulation of her voice, though temporary, took its toll. "I came here to bring you to my dream world so that I can show you, as well as others the world I come from, to share what I'm willing to give up to be with my family," she continued, rushing through her explanation as her vision rapidly became blurry and her sense of balance lost all perception of up and down. Mika slipped into unconsciousness as a result of the multiple exertions of the evening and her multiple injuries taking their toll. Before she was able to collapse on to the floor, Koga grabbed her lithe frame and carried her to his bed of hides, the mysterious female having vanished as if she was never there.

Koga watched over his niece as she slept. He brushed a stray hair from her face as he looked over her bandaged shoulder and stomach. "What happened to you?" he said aloud although he knew she couldn't hear him. As Koga watched over Mika, he saw how frail she looked, pale with shallow breathing similar to her mother, before her death, which caused tears to well in his blue eyes. He eased onto the bed, pulling her into his lap, placing her head against her chest as he pulled her carefully into a loving embrace.

"I never meant for this to happen. For you to get injured, far from home and the family that loves you. Please comeback to us. Comeback…to… me," he whispered into her hair as he held her tight.

From under his neck, a whimper escaped Mika's throat as she whimpered, "Can't…breathe!!"

"Oh… Sorry about that," Koga replied as he loosened his grip around her body.

Mika looked blurrily into Koga's blue eyes as she regained her bearings. "Were you crying over me?" she asked in a mere whisper.

Koga smiled at her concern, "You are worth every tear of happiness." He brushed a few more stray hairs from her face as he got a little more serious, "Now what was this about taking me into your dream? How can you do that?"

Mika pushed herself gently away from the well muscled chest of Koga as she replied, "This is one of my abilities as a half demon apparently. Not only can I walk into dreams but I can also speak to dead spirits, such as my paternal grandfather. I'm running out of time and I have one other person to include in this dream before it's too late." She carefully got back on her feet, using her good arm for support against the wall. Koga quickly regained his footing and helped Mika remain upright.

"Let's get you back to the others so you can get back to your reality," Koga replied as he carefully lifted her, bridal style with her good shoulder against his chest. "Just tell me where we're going."

"Once you're outside the cave, you'll go down the mountain path a ways to a tree covered tunnel," Mika replied, snuggling even further into his chest, seeking the comfort of his warm, loving embrace as if she were a mere child.

Koga arched an eyebrow as she gave the directions. He'd been all over these mountains and there was defiantly no tunnel which fit her description. "Maybe she's becoming delusional from all the trips she seems to have made this evening. I'll humor her, and then return to the cave if it proves to be wrong," Koga thought as he moved through the fire lit caves to the main entrance. He paused by his two lieutenants as they lain sprawled on the ground, softly snoring in their forced slumber.

Looking also at the downed wolves, Mika implored, "Don't be too harsh on them. They were only following your orders. I had to knock them out."

With a sly smile at his niece's kindness, he replied, "I'll deal with them in the morning. I'm sure that they will have some excuse, but I'll try and go easy on them as you have suggested. Now, while we're traveling back to this tunnel of yours will you explain what happened to you?"

Mika tried to smile, but the effort was too much, taking a shaky breath she replied, "I don't see why not." She began to explain a little of the dreams from her adventure so far that night, glossing over the main portions of the dreams and focusing on the fights and resulting injuries.

When she got to her shoulder and the person responsible, Koga's hackles raised as he demanded, "Where was Inuyasha when that witch fought you? I thought that he swore to protect you?!"

In Inuyasha's defense, Mika replied, "He didn't know I was there, or else I probably wouldn't have been injured. It's not his fault, really."

"When I get my hands on him, I'm going to…" the remainder of his threat escaped his thoughts as they appeared in front of the tree lined tunnel. "What…what is…that?" Koga stammered as stood in amazement at the tunnel entrance.

"This is the tunnel to my dream, now please hurry. I'm almost out of time and there's one other to bring back before I can show you my home," Mika replied. Koga quickly moved through the tunnel, exiting it almost as fast as they had entered. His eyes widen in continued amazement as his eyes took in the wonders of the surrounding mountains and glacier fed lake. To get Koga's attention and snap him back to the current situation, she elbowed him gently in the ribs and then pointed toward the distant fire. Like a bullet, he was off, not running at full speed to create his signature tornado, but fast enough that they arrived in a reasonably short amount of time.

Once Koga had entered the firelight, Inuyasha immediately got up from the fire and stormed toward the wolf. Koga carefully put Mika down as he also advanced on the human looking hanyou, hackles raised. Nose to nose, the two faced off. "What do you think you're doing here, half dressed, mangy wolf?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I was asleep, you dumb mutt! Now I can see the reason you couldn't protect Mika. Your sense of smell must not have been working. I guess that I'll have to protect her from now on, seeing as you're not in any position to defend her. So don't you worry about her, mutt face!!!" Koga countered.

The two bickering males continued to trade insults as Mika slowly moved back toward the tunnel. She rubbed her temples as the argument continued, causing her already weakened body to fight her desire to move forward. Noticing the haggard look on Mika's face, Kagome moved toward her, ignoring the bickering men.

She placed a gentle hand on Mika's uninjured shoulder as she suggested, "Why don't you come over to the fire and take a break. Have some hot chocolate to rejuvenate your strength."

Mika looked at her cousin, seeing the worry and concern in her chocolate eyes. Taking a deep breath, Mika looked at her watch, noticing that she's only been gone an hour and a half, replied, "I guess taking a little break will help right now. I passed out when I got to Koga's and I don't think it would be appropriate to do again, considering my next objective. I have a little time that I can spare. I just hope the chocolate is not too hot; I don't have time to wait for it to cool off." The two women moved back toward the fire, taking seats on the sleeping bag and a piece of wood, as the testosterone enraged male dominance struggle continued.

As Mika drank the offered cup of hot chocolate, her headache increased in intensity, which resulted in her search of her rucksack for some Ibuprofen to assist in the defense against the headache. Taking the medication, Mika downed the remainder of the hot chocolate and stood up from her sleeping bag. "I'd better be off. I hope to be back soon," she said to Kagome, Sango and Miroku. "When I get back, I'll explain what's going on to everyone." Looking at the still squabbling men, Mika also commented, "Would you please make sure that they've stopped by the time I get back? They are beginning to get on my nerves."

Miroku commented, "When those two get together, this is the normal result. However, they are normally fighting over Lady Kagome. You should be flattered."

Kagome started to blush at Miroku's comment as Sango smacked the hentai as she replied, "They are her uncles you pervert." She turned back to Mika as she replied, "We'll try something. Now get going."

Mika turned toward the distant tunnel, walking slowly to assure that she would not trip over any large rocks. "I have to finish this quickly so I can see my mother. Now… for my father…Will he accept me? Reject me? How do I approach him? Does he even…sleep…dream…have a…heart?" She thought as she moved a little farther from the camp, only to be stopped short by a blur of fur and skin.

"Where do you think you're going?" Koga demanded, standing effectively between her and the tunnel.

"I've to get one last member of this little party, remember. Now please move, Koga. I'm almost out of time and powers," Mika replied.

"For once, I agree with that mangy wolf, you're not going anywhere without us," a voice came from behind Mika. Turning slightly she saw Inuyasha coming up behind her with a very angry look on his face, mixed with concern.

Mika took a deep breath as she thought, "Why me?"

Once Inuyasha was next to Koga, assisting with the blockade of the tunnel, Inuyasha continued, "You're in no condition to continue this 'objective' of yours. I know you want to show us something, but with all that you've been through this night, is it really worth it?"

Mika's eyes flashed green as his words struck home. Trying to keep what remained of her composure as her temper flared, she replied, "Is it worth it? Is IT… worth running ragged for my family? To show them the love and compassion that I'm willing to give up that I've had for over 18 years? To bring them to the only place that I've known as 'home'? To leave the place where all my memories begin and make me feel as if I'm apart of something? To me it is very much worth it!!" As she completed her thoughts, Mika saw the mixed looks of hurt and amazement on her uncles' faces as her words sunk in. In a softer, more comforting tone she continued, "I'll be fine in the morning after a few more hours of sleep, and a hot meal or two. Now if you two will excuse me, I have one last member of this group to get and I have only an hour and a quarter left before my time is up." She moved toward both men, giving each a loving embrace and kiss on the cheek before moving toward the tunnel again.

Once they realized that she was no longer before them, both Koga and Inuyasha spun to see her halfway to the tunnel. "Hey, we're coming with you!!!" Koga said as they moved toward Mika.

Mika closed her eyes once she stopped moving toward the tunnel, making a fist with her good hand as she tried to calm her already enraged temper. Through clenched teeth, Mika ground out, "Go back to the others and SIT DOWN and be quiet! I've just about had it with both of you!!!" Without another word, or a look over her shoulder, Mika returned to the tunnel, unaware of the two, eighteen inch deep body shaped impressions in the rock strewn shore, nor the groans emitted by the prone figures.

As she disappeared into the tunnel, Miroku moved closer to the impressions, examining the effects of the 'sit' command. "Kami, those are pretty deep, even by Kagome's standards. She must have been pretty mad about something," Miroku commented as he looked at the two men.

Slowly, Inuyasha extracted himself from his body shaped crater, carefully checking for broken bones before moving any further. He casually glanced at Koga's indentation and let out a low whistle. "I guess she has more power than we gave her credit for. But how did she know the damn subjugation word?"

Koga carefully pulled his slightly bruised body from his hole in the shore with a quizzical look on his face. "What do you mean 'subjugation' word? Does this happen often?"

Inuyasha glared daggers at the wolf demon as he replied, "Only Kagome is able to do this. But apparently in the dream world, the rules have changed." Once both subjugated men crawled from their furrows in the lake shore, they returned to the campfire with Miroku and the girls, each person thinking about the angered and injured hanyou as they waited for her return.


	26. Sesshomaru's Dream

**Sesshomaru's Dream**

Mika stretched out her senses for the great demon lord, carefully, as not to draw his attention or wrath to her person. "I hope that this wasn't a mistake," she thought as she quietly brushed his senses, awed by the amount of demonic energy he emitted, even at a great distance. Quietly she disembarked from the tunnel, amazed at the starlit forest that it deposited her in. Careful, as not to trip over any hidden tree roots and thus injuring her shoulder further, Mika moved as swiftly as her body would allow toward the overpowering essence of her objective, moving silently on the soft grass of the forest floor.

Within a matter of minutes, she reached the edge of a huge clearing. Mika's eyes widen as she took in the surreal scene before her. As if a huge spotlight had been placed on high, despite the lack of a moon, to highlight a huge magnolia tree with large cream colored flowers in near bloom took center stage of the large clearing. Beneath the tree in his magnificent glory of power and grace was the Lord Sesshomaru, as if asleep, with a child cradled in his arm. Awestruck, Mika could barely move, mesmerized by the scene before her.

In her trance, Mika neglected to survey the remainder of the clearing for the supposed defenses of the demon lord, her grandfather had forewarned her about. A green toad like demon, no more than about three foot tall, if that, spotted the young injured woman. "What is this intrusion upon my lord? He will be most disgruntled for the disturbance," Jaken thought as he quietly moved toward the mesmerized girl. Placing his person as close to the offending girl as possible, he yelled at her as he brandished his staff, "State your business, whelp, or face my Staff of Two Heads!!!"

Mika slightly taken aback by the sudden intrusion, reached for her sword as a monotone command came from the silent lord under the tree, "Leave her be, Jaken." Mika, with her hand on the hilt of her sword, glanced between the little demon toad and Sesshomaru under the tree, unsure of her next move. Taken aback by his lord's commend, Jaken returned to his previous post near Ah-Un, the sleeping two headed dragon, muttering about something under his breath.

Sesshomaru glanced at the human near the edge of the forest, never taking his eyes off her as he saw the play of emotions cross her face. "Is THIS my…daughter?" he thought, as he continued to see the internal struggle in her face as she tried to figure out what to do. He casually probed her emanating energy, trying to gauge her powers when he noticed the unmistakable traces of purifying energy emanating from a wound in her shoulder. He arched an eyebrow at the fact that she had been in battle not long ago and yet was still able to move about. "She is strong, but stubborn. I can see a lot of her mother in her from the reddish colored hair to her vibrant blue eyes. And yet, I can see some of me in her as well. Is this what her body does when she is without her demon powers? She stands there now, with internal conflict, and yet she goes for her weapon, despite her clear disadvantages and injuries. How is this possible?" He continued his silent vigil of the woman he had sought to speak with once he discerned her identity and connection to himself.

Mika kept her hand on her sword, afraid of the powers emanating from the demon lord, and yet intrigued at his compassion for the child in his arm. "This…this is…my…father. This is the man whom every one said that would kill me because of my human blood, and yet…here he is with a…human child in his lap? What kind of monster would kill a hanyou like myself and yet care for a child that is not his…A human child no less?" She eased into the clearing a bit, moving toward Sesshomaru in a measured fashion, still contemplating her next move, never taking her hand from the hilt of her sword.

Seeing the unease in his daughter's human eyes, Sesshomaru asked of the hanyou as she got closer, "Why have you entered my dreams, uninvited?"

Mika, suddenly, remembering his rank and status, as well as her manners, dropped to one knee, carefully, bowing as a sign of respect as she replied, "I meant no offense, my Lord. I've come to request your presence at a small get together of my family."

Sesshomaru moved slightly, easing the young human child onto the soft grass, near his feet against the great magnolia tree. He looked at the kneeling, injured woman before him, searching her for lies or deception, but all he saw was confusion, fear, and uncertainty mixed with underlying pain. "Please, let me see your face."

Mika slowly looked into his stoic face, as requested, looking into the all familiar amber eyes, searching them for a sign of some sort into his deeper thoughts. Although she'd been able to read the souls of the other members of the group, his were still hidden behind a screen of haze as if he was still uncertain of him self and his emotions toward her or anyone else.

As he locked his amber eyes with her pained blue eyes, Sesshomaru saw a mixture of emotions played across her face. Love, compassion, uncertainty and the over-riding pain from her injuries were etched into her soul. As he concentrated on the person before him, Sesshomaru thought, "She's been through so much this evening, despite her show of confidence and strength, underneath it all she is weary and near exhaustion. It will not be long before she is completely spent, for then she would be vulnerable to attack. I see the need for her to be taken under my wing and taught how to be a demon, for she is still weak, as a mere human. This will not due for my daughter to be weak, like Inuyasha, but strong, as I have witnessed before."

"Time is of the essence, my lord. Would you accompany me? Please," Mika asked, breaking the tension as quietly as she could, drawing him back to the here and now instead of his thoughts. Still unable to answer her, he continued to take in every fiber of her being, her scent, appearance and look.

Neither unable to bear the silence any more, nor the attention she was receiving from the demon lord, Mika slowly rose to her feet, trying not to make any sudden moves to put Sesshomaru on his guard. "I apologize for my abrupt appearance, my lord. However, I have to return to my camp to the others of this group I spoke of. You are invited to come along, if you'd like." Mika slowly backed away from Sesshomaru, unsure if she'd offended…angered…or even surprised the demon lord due to his stoic façade.

Mika turned back toward her distant tunnel when a strong hand gripped her uninjured shoulder. She froze at the touch, a hundred and one thoughts going through her mind as a reply came from near her ear, "You are in no condition to be wandering these dangerous forests at night, unaccompanied. I see that my worthless brother has failed in his job of protecting you… as well as the wolf."

Mika smiled slightly at the attempt of concern coming from the man behind her as she softly replied, "I hold my own when needed. Please follow me… this way." She gently pulled from his grip, moving as swiftly as she could toward the tunnel, finally beginning to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel to her mission.

As she disembarked for the final time from her tree covered tunnel, Mika breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Now that's over, on to the really fun stuff now. I just hope that I have enough energy and power to finish this before time runs out," Mika thought as she glanced at her watch. "One hour, that should be enough time for what I need to do. I think that this last dream was the easiest of them all tonight," she continued in her thoughts as she moved toward the distant fire.

Sesshomaru watched his daughter as they had entered the tunnel, seeing the grace in her movements and yet the pain with which she moved. "This night must have really taken its toll on her. And yet I can see her stubbornness that she gets from her mother," he thought as he slowly began to notice the change in scenery about him. Despite his stoic mask upon his face, inside Sesshomaru was surprised at the scene before him. The crystal clear glacier fed lake to the coniferous forest dotting the rocky strewn mountains and the clean mountain air. "What is this place?" he thought.

As if reading his thoughts, as well as the others of the camp fire that they had reached, Mika replied, "This is Opal Lake, my hunting grounds from my country and era." Grabbing the attention of the others, she quickly moved toward the creek, leaving the lake, toward a new tunnel as she called over her shoulder, "Please follow me."


	27. Memories

**Memories**

As the group followed Mika toward the new tunnel, Inuyasha glared at his remote brother. "What is he doing here?" he thought, as he moved closer to Mika to be near his niece. Koga and Kagome had taken a flanking position with Mika in the lead. As they traveled the short tunnel, they came out near a mountain side, overlooking a wide expanse of land with more mountains miles off in the distance. Slight gasps of shock and amazement escaped the lips of some of the onlookers.

A slight tinge of blue sneaked across the western horizon as the night gave way to day. The lights of the surrounding towns and cities twinkled in the distance, marking the flow of the rivers in the distance. The group flanked Mika as she explained, "This is the Magic Valley, where I've lived most of my life. As you can see this is a pretty huge place. However this is only a part of the country I come from, a land bigger than all of Japan," She turned down the mountain path, straight into another tunnel as the others followed her, slowly peeling their eyes from the scene before them, too shocked to speak.

After a few more minutes, the group exited the tunnel onto a deserted country lane. The breeze carried the scent of early summer, alfalfa and a hint of cow manure and sage brush to the noses of all present. Koga's eyes widen at the sight of the large number of black, white, and brown cows, grazing contently in a nearby field. As he headed toward the easy meal, Mika placed a hand on his shoulder as she warned, "Don't even think it, Koga. Despite their calm demeanor, that bull…" pointing toward a fifteen hundred pound Black Angus bull, "…will run you down faster than you think. There are other, safer ways to get a meal." He smiled at Mika, patting her gently on the back as they turned back toward the road.

A few minutes later as the light behind them intensified, bathing the surrounding pastures in predawn light, Mika pointed to a lone tree near the road and a low roofed home a ways back from the tree. "That is my home. I've been packing for the return trip to Japan, but I wanted to show you the memories that this place, as well as a few others, holds for me." Once they were closer to the ranch style single story home, Mika closed her eyes, digging deep into the memory locker of her brain. To the amazement of the others, images played before their eyes as they slowly moved closer to the home, as if they were watching a movie. As the memories slowly began to play, they revealed a girl of about three or four, moving into the home they saw before them. From there, they increased in speed; ticking threw the years of her life at not only the dwelling before them, but also of various other areas of the country, local buildings, and impressive locations.

Kagome moved closer to her concentrating cousin, noticing that she was quite pale and her breathing was becoming ragged. She saw the strain that the memories were putting on Mika's already depleted powers. Quickly, she took hold of her cousin's uninjured shoulder, offering her what miko powers she could to assist in the memory home video until she noticed a glimpse of the lake they had just come from, except that this was a memory. "Oh, No, this is getting close to the time of the death of her parents! I've got to try and stop her," Kagome thought when suddenly Mika collapsed into her chest, dragging both women to the ground. Despite her unconscious state, the memories continued to play as if on autopilot. Kagome tried to awaken Mika, gently shaking her limp form. Once she'd been able to ease Mika's body from on top of her own pinned body, Kagome noticed that she'd finally eased into a fitful slumber brought on by the exertions of the evening.

With everyone engrossed in the memory home videos, and Kagome focusing her attention on Mika's unconscious body, no one noticed the addition to the group. He moved quietly from the back of the group, suppressing his overwhelming powers as he moved toward the unconscious girl. Placing a gentle hand on her forehead, he quietly spoke into Kagome's ear, "She'll be fine. Nothing a little sleep won't be able to cure."

Kagome squawked slightly at the foreign voice, as she turned toward the intruder. When her eyes met his amber eyes, she quickly realized that it was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father. "Why are you here, my lord?" Kagome asked in a barely audible whisper as she took in his appearance.

"I'll explain in a minute for everyone. Please be patient," he stood next to his granddaughter as the final memories played out. Mika's vivid memories of the accident were as clear as if they had just happened that day instead of a month ago. Every detail was as sharp and clear as the finest crystal vase with microscopic attention to detail from the smells of the burning rubber, the sound of shattering glass and the screams of the behemoth vehicles colliding and twisting to the shrieks of the passengers. The sounds of the sirens faded into the distance as the scene before them changed to the flight aboard the airplane to Japan and her final images of the daunting task of going up the stairs of the Higurashi shrine. For the final seconds before the earthquake that dragged Mika into the feudal era the image stopped as if paused by an invisible remote.

Gentle sobs resounded through the area as Miroku tried to comfort Sango who was greatly affected by the violent death of Mika's parents. Koga and Inuyasha looked at each other as they sought their niece, realizing how heartless they had been when she had been through so much already before they had even met her. Sesshomaru, although his stoic mask remained unchanged, was also affected by his unknown daughter's past. The years that should have been his to see her grow from a young pup to a beautiful woman were taken from him, now all he had were these memories of hers. Anger rose in his usually calm body at the thoughts of all that he had missed out on all those years ago, "If only…if only…if only Akane had been a full demon, none of this would have ever happened," he thought to himself.

Suddenly a great wave of demonic energy washed over the group as a tsunami on a tiny island, throwing them violently back to reality as the great dog demon lord made his presence known. All eyes turned toward him as he continued his silent vigil over Mika and Kagome. Inuyasha looked at the man whom he had been told was his father as Sesshomaru stepped forward and addressed the old general.

"Father, what do we owe this pleasure to?" Sesshomaru calmly asked as he continued the inner conflict with his anger.

Inu no Taisho looked at his eldest son as he replied, "You've grown, Son. I'm glad to see that you have set aside your differences this night to accompany Mika here. She's such a good person, full of compassion, youthful energy and love. I hope that you don't waste the opportunity presented to you with this child."

Sesshomaru stared at his father, the anger subsiding as the words eased his heart. "I see what you mean. Maybe this will give me a chance to get to know her a bit better. Considering that I never knew of her existence," he replied as he glared at Koga, who stood in awe at the presence of the great deceased demon lord.

"Father, why are you here?" Inuyasha sheepishly asked as the others eagerly awaited the answer.

"Inuyasha, you have grown as well I see. Thank you for taking Mika under your wing when you could. As to your question, she is one of only a few links between the worlds of the living and the dead. I've been with her since birth, thanks to Totosai's thoughtfulness, as well as her mother." He turned toward Koga and bowed slightly, "Thanks to you, Koga, leader of the Eastern wolf demon tribe. Akane expresses her thanks as well." He returned to look at the group as he continued, "With her inexperienced powers, demons that she had killed were trying to return to this world through her death. I intervened when necessary when her life was in danger, although the fight appears to be an indication of the future."

"So what do we do now?" Miroku asked, "She was the path into this strange and yet wonderful place. How are we to return to our respective dreams and thus back home?"

Quietly Inu no Taisho knelt beside his granddaughter, gathering her limp frame into his arms as he replied, "Behind you is a tunnel that will return you to your respective dreams. Now if you will excuse me, I have to return her to her dream so that she may rest peacefully. As you all have seen, Mika is a very stubborn individual, but she is also very resilient. Once she has regained her strength, she will return to you."

Koga moved toward Mika's unconscious body to say farewell as the others slowly followed suit. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek, before he moved aside for the others to say their goodbyes. Once everyone who was present, save for Sesshomaru, made their way past the unconscious girl, they entered the tunnel, traveling in different directions back toward their dreams, deep in thought of what she had shown them with not only her memories but her pure determination and will power.

Inu no Taisho turned toward the final member of the group. "Would you like to say something to her, or will you just keep it to yourself, like you always do?" he asked of Sesshomaru, noticing the inner conflict of the younger demon.

Sesshomaru moved toward his father, carefully thinking of what he would say. Once he was near the older demon lord, Sesshomaru gazed into the serene face of his daughter in her human form as he replied, "I've been thinking about what you asked all those years ago, father. At the time you asked if I had any one to protect, I had said, 'No.' As time passed, I find that I do have some one to protect, and now that has been increased by the knowledge that I have a daughter. When the time is right, I will ask her for the opportunity to get to know me. I've seen her injuries this night and the ineptitude of the wolf and my brother in keeping her safe."

The elder demon lord smiled gently as he replied, "Be careful, Sesshomaru, for she is not like the young ward, Rin. You will be dealing with an older teenager who has already been through a lot. Are you sure that you know how to deal with the likes of her?"

Sesshomaru looked his father in the eye as he replied, "She will conform to my ways, one way or another."

Inu no Taisho shook his head as the smile got a little wider, knowing the difficulties that his eldest son faced. "You'd best get going, son. I can only keep the tunnel in place long enough for you to return to your dream. Please hurry, for this dream is coming to an end in a matter of seconds."

Without another word, Sesshomaru placed a gentle hand on his daughter's uninjured shoulder for a moment and then as if a bolt of lightning, he was gone through the tree covered tunnel to return to his dream of the great magnolia tree in the beginning throws of bloom, his young ward and annoying servant, deep in thought as to what his father had implied.

Looking down at his granddaughter, the aged demon lord smiled as he said, "You've had one hell of a night, young lady. Now it's time for you to sleep well, to let your body heal. Don't worry; your mother will be with you when you awaken from your slumber." He turned toward the tree shrouded passageway for the final trip of the evening. Within a few minutes he had returned to the glacier fed Opal Lake and moved toward the inviting campfire. Once he placed his sleeping granddaughter into the waiting sleeping bag, he covered her with an additional wool blanket and took a set on one of the waiting wooden stumps, keeping watch as he had done all night.


	28. Returning Home

**Returning Home**

As the light of the early summer sun peeked over the mountain summits of the little valley surrounding Opal Lake, Mika stirred in her slumber. Taking notice, Akane snuggled closer to her daughter, smelling the fresh blood, and purify energy from a miko. Knowing that her daughter needed sleep, she placed her head gently upon the young woman's chest, growling softly in a soothing manner, lulling the semi conscious girl back to the healing depths of sleep.

Later that afternoon, with the rumble and aches of hunger overriding the soothing growl of her mother, Mika awoke to the sun gently beating down on the valley from on high. Mika rolled on to her side, glancing at the eternal fire as her eyes focused on the surrounding area. She noticed the lack of her grandfather's presence, which cause her heart to fall in despair at the thought of his abandonment of her.

As if by magic, a slight presence touched her mind, easing her troubled heart as it said, "Do not fear, my dear. I will return this evening for one more lesson. For the rest of the day, just relax and heal for your injuries last night were very great. You went through more than I thought you would, and that I'm very remorseful for. I should have been there to protect you."

Mika smiled slightly, for that was almost what Koga and Inuyasha had said, as well as Sesshomaru's actions. Taking a deep breath of the clean mountain air, Mika inwardly replied, "Don't fret, Opa. I knew what I was getting myself into and your guidance is what kept me safe. I only underestimated my opponents, especially the clay witch. Next time, if there is one, I will not hesitate to dispatch her."

A chuckle passed through her mind as she envisioned a smile crossing his gentle face. "Rest, allow your wounds to heal. I will be back at dusk."

Mika moved slowly into a sitting position, wincing as pain wracked her back and shoulder, protesting the movement. Once she sat cross-legged on her sleeping bag, Mika took stock of what provisions she had left. She also noticed sitting near the foot of her sleeping bag the gray and black timber wolf. As she took an MRE from her pack, Mika commented to the wolf, "Slim pickings for breakfast, although…" she glanced at her watch, seeing that it was well after noon, she continued, "I guess that this would be more like lunch." Mika glanced at the MRE, reaching for her buck knife, slowly opening the light brown envelope as she removed the contents. "Mmmm…Cheese Tortellini with wheat cracker and jalapeno cheese, one of my favorites. I guess you can have the lemon pound cake, even I wouldn't eat that." She slowly opened the contents of the food envelops, eating her fill and giving the blue eyed wolf the offered pound cake. Once most of the food was eaten, Mika put the garbage in a bag to be thrown out once she reached civilization.

Slowly, she removed her shirt, taking in a great breath as the cold mountain air touched bare skin. Mika looked at her shoulder, noticing that despite having been hurt in her dream world, that since it had been bandaged there, they had transcended her dreams to reality. She slowly touched her shoulder, thinking of the tenderness and care with which Inuyasha had taken to wrap her shoulder. Carefully, she moved her hands to the bandages covering her stomach and moved them more toward her back. A smile crossed her face as she realized the love that she had felt from all the members of her group, whether from the vocalization of that love, or from their actions. Suddenly she thought of her father and his concern when she had left his dream.

"Was that actual concern, or was it more pity? He's hard to figure out, I guess. Well maybe by showing him what I've been through will soften his feelings toward me? But then again, I know that he wouldn't hurt me, that much I got from my brief encounter with him," Mika thought. Having checked the bandages as best she could, Mika carefully put her tee shirt back on and laid back into her sleeping bag, allowing the healing properties of sleep take over her weary body.

As the sun moved across the clear blue, cloudless sky, Mika slept fitfully, allowing her body to heal from the previous evenings events. Akane lay near her daughter, soothing her with a loving growl as she slept, knowing that her grandfather would return soon, and hoping that he'd bring something back that was more appetizing than the lemon pound cake that her daughter had tried to give her.

With the orange streaks of the setting sun announcing the arrival of dusk, the great dog demon lord returned to the camp as promised, carrying a couple of sage grouse that he'd caught while on his way to the camp. Seeing that his granddaughter was still deep in a healing slumber, Inu no Taisho cleaned the two birds, much to Akane's delight and placed them over the eternal fire. After a half hour or so, the birds were done and the smells of the cooked flesh assaulted Mika's nose, drawing her back to the world of the awake.

"I hope that this is to your liking," he commented, handing Mika a plate with half a sage grouse on it. "I wasn't able to bring in anything bigger."

Taking the proffered plate, a look of pure bliss crossed Mika's face as she eagerly took in the delicious aroma of the tender bird. "Thank you, Opa. Lunch was not the best and it was a while ago." Quickly Mika dug into the bird, savoring every last bite as she noticed that he gave the second bird to the wolf. After finishing her first half, Mika eagerly dug into the second half of the grouse, cleaning every last bit of meat from its scrawny carcass.

After both birds were eaten, and the bones removed from the camp to the timberline for other scavengers, Mika glanced to her grandfather, noticing a sad look across his face. "What is the matter, Opa?"

Glancing at his granddaughter, a smile crossed his face as he replied, "It's nothing. I just wanted to honor my part by showing you the way of concealment for your return trip to Japan." Carefully he etched a design on the ground with a stick, as he explained, "This is a concealment sutra, and this will obscure your appearance from prying eyes. However, if this was ever permanently applied to your body, it would purify your body and leave you in your human form forever. Washable ink is preferred for this method, and it lasts for a reasonable amount of time."

Once she saw the design, Mika took a pad from her rucksack as well as a pen and carefully drew the design that was on the ground. With her shoulder still wrapped tightly, Mika took the extra care to making the design perfect, knowing that it would help her on the return trip to Japan.

As she put the pad away, Mika thought of something else from the previous night, before her dream hopping and a slight frown crossed her face. Turning toward her grandfather, she asked, "Am I to late to be able to see my mother?"

Noticing the slight look of disappointment and a hint of sadness in her voice, the demon lord moved toward her sleeping bag, placing a hand upon her uninjured shoulder, he replied, a slightly amused sound to his voice, "She's been here the whole time, my dear," as he pointed toward the wolf.

Mika stared at the wolf in amazement, as she commented in disbelief, "She's been her the whole time?" Slowly the wolf moved toward Mika, nuzzling her face then licking her cheeks to wipe away the tears from them. "Oh, mother," the hanyou cried out, wrapping her arms around the wolf's neck drawing her into a loving embrace as the wolf let a loving growl escape her throat.

Slowly, without any explanation, the wolf transformed into a beautiful woman with blazing red hair and wrapped her arms as well around her daughter, as tears also streamed down her face. After a few minutes the two women pulled apart to look at one another. Mika noticed her mother's blue eyes, long red hair and wolfish smile, so similar to Koga's that it was uncanny. "Mika, you're all that I've expected you to be, and more," Akane commented as she pulled her daughter into a hug once more.

"But how do you know about me mother? I don't understand," Mika replied, crying into the older woman's shoulder, leaving tear stains on her armor.

Pushing her daughter away to look into her face, Akane explained, "With the fang, at my request, that Koga took to Totosai for your pendant is the way that I've been connected to you, honey. I've always been a part of you through the pendant."

As the realization crossed her face, Mika pulled her beloved pendant from her shirt, showing her mother the howling wolf for the first time. "This is supposed to be you?" she asked quietly.

Taking the pendant in her hand, Akane gently inspected the pendant, noticing the name written in the crescent moon. "I don't recall asking for the name, but yes this is suppose to be me, your guardian angel of sorts," she replied, running her thumb over the intricate detail as she thought, "Totosai did a wonderful job. I'm glad that I had this done for her."

Mika commented, "The name was Koga's idea. He said that he wanted me to have a name that 'family' gave me. He thought that you would approve."

Smiling at her brother's thoughtfulness, Akane returned the pendant to her daughter, deep in thought of all that her daughter had been through. Despite not having a physical body for the years her daughter grew up, through the pendant she was able to feel all her pain, sorrow, and joy. She pulled her daughter into another powerful embrace, trying to draw all the physical pain Mika had into her self, helping the hanyou heal as quickly as she could.

After a few minutes, the pain lessened in Mika's back and shoulder, however she still retained her human form as Akane slumped exhaustedly onto the sleeping bag. "That took a lot more out of me than I expected," she said, placing a shaking hand to her head.

"Mother, why did you try and heal me like that? I'd be fine in a couple of days," Mika replied, easing her mother onto her sleeping bag as gently as she could.

Akane looked weakly into her daughter's face as she replied, "I've wanted to take all your hurt and pain away since you first were born. I know that your life was not the easiest after your parents died and finding out about where you actually came from was even more traumatic. But I knew that by helping you heal from your ordeal last night would be a step in the right direction."

Seeing that she didn't have much more time with her mother, after she gave a lot of her energy to her daughter, Mika asked, "Why Sesshomaru, mom? What was so special about him that you'd risk death to be with him?"

Turning her blue eyes toward her daughter, love poring out as she replied, "When I found him in the forest, injured from a previous fight, I couldn't help but fall in love with him, for you see he was, as is know, a demon god among men. Despite his arrogance, he was a wonderful lover and would have, I believe, stayed with me for life because of the kindness and compassion that I showed him. However, once his sense of smell returned and he smelled my human side, he turned on me." A note of sadness entered her voice as she recounted her last encounter with the demon lord before he left her, pregnant and gravely injured.

She turned her eyes once more back to her daughter as she continued, "He has changed a lot in the last few years, since the young girl, Rin has been with him. He's not as selfish as he once was, although if you were to put him on the spot about it, Sesshomaru would deny it to his last breath. Seek him out and get to know him, Mika. Under his rough exterior, he's a worthy father, and I know that you've impressed him with your abilities from your adoptive parents."

As Akane began to fade, having used the last of her energy she looked one last time at her daughter, she saw tears of sorrow race down Mika's cheeks. With a smile and a gentle touch, Akane soothed her troubled daughter as she said, "Don't worry, honey, for I'm always with you. When you need my help, I will be there for you, as will your grandfather. When you see your father, tell him that I still love him, despite his part in my death, that I forgave him with your birth. Good bye my 'new moon,'" Were her last words as she faded into non-existence.

Mika cried for her loss, but only for a minute as her grandfather placed a gentle hand to her shoulder. "She is right with you, as she always have. Now it's time for you to return to your home, Mika. I'll help you get packed up and on your way, for you need to return to Japan as soon as you can. Don't worry about things here, for they will be taken care of in time."

Seeing the smile across his ruggedly handsome features, Mika also smiled, slowly collecting her gear as she prepared to return to Jerome. After a few minutes, the old general shouldered her pack and sleeping bag, seeing as her left shoulder was still injured, as she carried her little cooler back to her truck once the fire was doused. Once all the gear was returned to her truck, Mika turned to the old demon lord and embraced him in a hug, as tears slid down her face. Placing a loving hand on her shoulder, he soothed, "As your mother said, I will also be with you when you need me. Seek my eldest son, and give him the opportunity to get to know you. He'll be a bit hard to get along with at first, but he'll grow on you, I hope."

"Thank you, Opa. I really needed this opportunity that you gave me to show my extremely dysfunctional family my past, especially my father," she said as she gave him a kiss. Once she got situated in her truck as the light began to fade quickly from the valley, Mika turned once more to her grandfather as she said, "I'll see you later, Opa."

Carefully with only one good arm, Mika drove back to Challis along the dirt road of Panther Creek road. She thought of all that she'd been through and her grandfather's final words about not to worry about her stuff and home in Jerome. "I wonder what he meant by that?" she thought, as she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and restaurant that she'd stayed two days before.

After a filling meal and a goodnight's rest, Mika awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. As she took a warm relaxing showing after waking up, Mika removed the bandages from her shoulder and back, revealing almost healed wounds. With a glance in the mirror, however, she noticed that her human appearance had not changed, as she had hopped it would. "Apparently the clay witch's fiery was more than I thought with long lasting effects. I'll still pick up the India ink when I get home though, just in case I change before I get back to Japan," Mika thought as she packed the rest of her gear into her truck.

Six hours or so later, Mika arrived home to her friend Amy. Over a couple of pizza's Mika explained what had happened at Opal Lake and her sudden human appearance, as well as her new set of wounds. She also explained that she was still going forward with the sale of her home, but that she would come back to pack after another trip to Japan to visit with her father. Once a few more phone calls were made, Mika packed for her return trip to Japan the following morning, grateful for friends such as Amy and her dysfunctional family in Japan.


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

As the flight took off from the Honolulu International Airport from the island of Oahu, Mika looked out the window, marveling at the site laid out below low her from the tropical blue of the ocean to the volcanic mountains. As they gained altitude, Mika noticed the volcanic plains of the Mauna Loa and the Kilauea volcanoes from the Big Island. As she saw the blackened rock from previous lava flows, her thought drifted toward the volcanic plain of her last physical encounter with her father.

Her eyes watered as she recalled the brief look of shock cross his face after she delivered a horrific blow of her 'Arctic Dragon' attack, blasting not only him, but Inuyasha and Koga away from each other. "It was as if my display of demonic energy scared him, if that's possible. And yet, when I approached him in his dream, it was… it was as if he…" she couldn't think of the right word to describe the feelings that she felt radiating off the demon lord during her encounter. Mika looked back at the island state as the airplane changed course toward Japan, leaving her thinking of her father and the inevitable meeting with the icy demonic lord.

"Will he accept me?" was the last thoughts of the inu-ookami hanyou as she slipped into an easy sleep for the final leg of her journey home.

As Mika's plane flew across the vast Pacific Ocean, five hundred years in the future, the stoic demonic lord looked out over the same ocean, wondering the same thing. "Will she accept me, or will she side with my ungrateful brother and that wolf and hate me as they do?" he thought as he stood upon a hill. The wind from the ocean blowing his hair out behind him as a silver curtain, the fur at his shoulder gently moved in the breeze, wrapping itself in intricate designs.

As he recalled their last physical encounter, he remembered the 'Arctic Dragon' move as well as the immense, raw demonic energy that rippled from the attack. "She needs to be taught how to control her inner demon," he thought, staring out across the ocean. "If she doesn't learn control, she will be devoured by its lure of blood and be killed by the very blood that runs through her veins. I feel that the wolf doesn't understand the gravity of the situation, nor does the ingrate of my brother. It would seem that this Sesshomaru will have to teach her control, refine her abilities and show her the ways of the Inu clan that she heralds from," he though as a small, barely visible smile graced his stone features as he thought of his daughter being taught how to suppress her inner demon, and learning how to fight at his side as it should have been so many years ago.

Over looking the Easter Wolf demon's territory from their cave on high, Koga's blue eyes gazed over his domain, thinking of the dream that he'd had a few nights back. "Was all that I saw real? Did she really have that kind of life before she met us?" he thought, recalling the images she had shown them and the tragic, painful death of her adoptive parents. "I will make sure that she does not regret having shown us her inner most secrets and pain," he thought as he clenched his fist. "If I have anything to say about it, he will never see her again and I will do my best to teach her the ways of the wolf, to protect her from the rejection that she will get from her own father." As the thoughts of Mika's selfish and arrogant father crossed his mind, Koga clenched his fists even harder, digging his claws into the rough palms of his hands, drawing blood.

He glanced at his hands as he thought of all that Mika had been through in the past few weeks, the fights, demonic transformation, the near death experiences and the bizarre treks through dreams. "She's had it rough, and I hope that she'll accept my offer to stay with the clan. It would make me proud to have her as my own daughter, to raise her and love her as she should have been all those years ago," he thought sadly as he recalled the final request of his dearly departed sister and the heart ache it initially caused. Now with the opportunity to make amends to his niece, Koga wasn't about to let this chance go. He prayed that she would return quickly and safely to him and his clan.

Inuyasha stood at the very top of the Tree of Ages, his gaze locked on the well that allowed Kagome and now Mika to travel between this time and the future. His thoughts danced around the dream he had shared with his niece and friends, albeit one, as she showed him her world, which was vastly different from theirs, and Kagome's. He thought deeply of the wound in her shoulder, knowing that Kikyo was behind it chilled his blood to the core, not understanding what would have possessed her to do such an atrocious thing. "Why, Kikyo, would you have wanted to harm my niece, now that I just found her? Do you not love me as I had thought or is there something more that I don't know that she didn't say?" he thought, wishing to question Mika as soon as she returned, dragging the answers he needed out of her if necessary.

But as he thought of Mika, the portion of the shared dream that he clearly recalled was the pain that she had felt when her parents died. "I know how she feels, at least in regards to family deaths. I still miss my mother, having seen her die was the most gut wrenching thing I've ever had to deal with, and yet to this day, I've locked those feelings away, not wanting to experience them again. Although, I feel, the lock is weakening, seeing as ever time Kagome gets hurt, those feelings begin to surface and try and take over as they once had when I was a child. Mika should not have to deal with that pain on her own. I should be there more to protect her from ever feeling lost, unloved, and neglected. If it hadn't been for that damned wolf screwing up in the first place, she wouldn't have to worry about being without a family. She would have had me, if I had known, as well as the wolf clan. I'm sure that Sesshomaru, the ungrateful bastard, would do something, but seeing his expression during the playing of her memories, I don't think he would kill her. If he'd just leave her alone, Mika would be okay. I hope that he stays away from her, or else I'll have to take him out permanently." A depraved smile crossed his rugged features as the thought of dispatching his brother to the land of the dead played through his mind.

Back in the modern era, Kagome hurriedly rushed through her math test, thankful for the review session that she had with her friends the previous night. Once she had finished the test, she exited the school, walking home in the brisk late spring air. It was nearing her schools finals and she was eager to be done with them so that she could devote more time to searching for jewel shards. As she thought about the hunt for the remaining shards, the thought of the one she had given Mika crossed her mind. "I hope that she remembered to pack it when she comes back," Kagome thought. She recalled the trials and tribulations that Mika had gone through during her shared dream and how the various acts she had to perform had affected her. Kagome clearly remembered the numerous wounds she had received that night, as well as the purifying arrow through the shoulder. "I wonder how she's feeling?" she thought, as she quickly recalled the most hysterical moment of her dream when Inuyasha and Koga had attempted to detain her from fetching Sesshomaru.

_Flashback_

Mika closed her eyes once she stopped moving toward the tunnel, making a fist with her good hand as she tried to calm her already enraged temper. Through clenched teeth, Mika ground out, "Go back to the others and SIT DOWN and be quiet! I've just about had it with both of you!!!" Without another word, or a look over her shoulder, Mika returned to the tunnel, unaware of the two, eighteen inch deep body shaped impressions in the rock strewn shore, nor the groans emitted by the prone figures.

As she disappeared into the tunnel, Miroku moved closer to the impressions, examining the effects of the 'sit' command. "Kami, those are pretty deep, even by Kagome's standards. She must have been pretty mad about something," Miroku commented as he looked at the two men.

Slowly, Inuyasha extracted himself from his body shaped crater, carefully checking for broken bones before moving any further. He casually glanced at Koga's indentation and let out a low whistle. "I guess she has more power than we gave her credit for. But how did she know the damn subjugation word?"

Koga carefully pulled his slightly bruised body from his hole in the shore with a quizzical look on his face. "What do you mean 'subjugation' word? Does this happen often?"

Inuyasha glared daggers at the wolf demon as he replied, "Only Kagome is able to do this. But apparently in the dream world, the rules have changed." Once both subjugated men crawled from their furrows in the lake shore, they returned to the campfire with Miroku and the girls, each person thinking about the angered and injured hanyou as they waited for her return.

_End Flashback_

A smile crossed Kagome's face as she made her way home, praying as well for the safe return of her cousin, hoping that the inu-ookami hanyou would return safely, and yet she was uncertain as to what Mika would do once she returned. "I feel that she doesn't know herself actually," Kagome thought as she entered the shrine, preparing for another trip to the feudal era.

Sango and Miroku spoke with Kaede at great length about the dream that they had shared with Kagome, Inuyasha, Koga and surprisingly Sesshomaru. Miroku glossed over the details of his dream, not wanting to offend the women as to the nature of the dream that he had with Mika, nor the impure thoughts that he expressed before he realized who it was. He valued his life too much and Sango had a wicked right hook.

"I see," Kaede commented once all the details had been revealed, especially when Mika had shown them her home and life before being drug back into the feudal era. "So it would seem that she was able to show ye her life before her arrival here. From what ye have said, she was trying to put her past to rest to allow for her future to be uncluttered with memories. To be able to show Inuyasha, Koga and Sesshomaru that she had a good life before the tragic deaths of her adoptive parents, as well as show ye all that she's willing to give up to be here with her new found family."

"That is what we have come to understand, Lady Kaede. Mika took a great many risks that night, facing demons of every shape and size as well, as we understand, your own sister, Kikyo, whom had fired a purifying arrow at her, purifying her demonic aura for a time, but also wounding her in the process," Miroku recalled as he sipped a cup of chi.

At the mention of her undead sister, Kaede shook her head as she replied, "Unless provoked, Kikyo would have left her alone. The question remains, what caused my sister to do such a thing? This should be answered, for fear that Kikyo may seek another chance at killing Mika, and this time she won't fail."

Sango and Miroku agreed as the three set around the fire of Kaede's hut, each deep in thought about what had been revealed as well as their own private dreams two had shared with the young hanyou. All prayed to Kami that she would return soon and safe, for they feared that she was in more danger now that when she had left them.

Deep in thought as to the various dreams that he had entered that night a few days ago, Naraku quickly realized that Mika was more of a threat than he at first thought. "I should have taken her out the first chance that I had," he thought as he cursed himself. "When I had her in my grasp, she had not yet to transform into her demonic state, acquire armor and a sword, nor did she have the strength of her father to back her up. Hakudoushi was right; we should have killed her when we had her. Why did I have to let her go like that? That will be my last mistake in dealing with her, but now to the plan at hand," he said as he stared at a figure hidden in shadows near his thrown, "I have a job for you."

A young, handsome male dressed in a white haori with purple markings and white hakama advances toward Naraku from the shadows. A smile graces his lips as he replies, "What do you have in mind, Naraku?"

"A young woman of mixed heritage will be arriving soon. She carries a claymore across her back and rides a demonic horse with a brown and white coat. Find her and engage her in battle once you receive the signal. If all goes well, you will have your 'companion' returned before that time. Take care in not allowing her family to catch wind of you or there will be consequences," Naraku stated as his eyes bled red, knowing that his plan was hitched to this creature of ill repute.

Flashing a large smile, and saluting the hanyou lord, the handsome man replied, "Will do, Naraku. You have my word on that." He turned and left the dark hanyou to his thoughts as he himself thought of ways to betray Naraku and gain his own freedom. If it hadn't been for the jewel in his neck and his heart in Naraku's grasp, he knew that he'd be dead, yet again.


End file.
